Road Trip
by NotJana
Summary: Sam Carter promised Cassandra Fraiser a motorcycle trip a while back and she finally found the time for it. Cassie is picking the route, and her bike decided Eureka is the perfect place to break down. Then again, Cassie had planned to stop here anyway.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: _ I don't own Stargate SG1 or Eureka. No infringement is intended. Sadly, no profit will be made from this either.

_Summary_: Sam Carter promised Cassandra Fraiser a motorcycle road trip a while back and she finally found the time to fulfil that promise. Cassie is picking the route, and her motorcycle decided Eureka is the perfect place to break down. Then again, Cassie had planned to stop here anyway.

_Timeline_: End(ish) of season 2 for Eureka and some point after the SG-1 movie _Continuum._

_A/N: _I started watching Eureka a month ago and can't seem to stop (I basically watched season 1, 2, 3, 1, 2 and just started 3 again :P). Anyway, my muses jumped on the bandwagon and won't let me write on my other stories unless they get to play with this one too. What can I say; I'm a slave to my muses... On another note, as there seem to be ton of Jack/Nathan stories out there, I figured I should point out that this won't be one of them (although I absolutely love their interactions, I just can't see them going that far).

oxoxo

Sam Carter promised Cassandra Fraiser a motorcycle trip a while back and she finally found the time for it. Cassie is picking the route, and her bike decided Eureka is the perfect place to break down. Then again, Cassie had planned to stop here anyway.

**Chapter 1**

Samantha Carter was grinning like the cat the inherited the creamery. She was riding right at the speed limit, enjoying the landscape flying by on either side of her. And, most of all, she enjoyed the freedom of having no particular destination to reach. As it turned out, defeating all the major threats to their galaxy had a few perks. Like this three week road-trip without having to worry about invasions of any kind. If anything, the trip showed her just what exactly she had been fighting for the past eleven plus years.

"Sam?" she heard through the earpiece just as the motorcycle in front of her started to slow down. "I'll pull over, something feels wrong."

Sam, already slowing to match the other motorcycle's speed, drove up next to her friend to see if she could spot the problem.

Luckily they were currently on a long, straight stretch of road with a wide grass shoulder on either side. They both took off their helmet and Sam quickly crossed the distance between them. "Cassie?"

The young, brunette woman shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. The machine just started to make funny noises and to feel a bit unstable. I figured to better be safe than sorry?"

"Good point." Sam bent over to have a quick look but couldn't immediately identify the problem. "Hungry? We can have a snack while the engine cools down a bit, then I can have a closer look?"

"Chocolate cookie!" Cassie called out immediately, grinning at Sam's crestfallen face. There only was one left and she'd just lay claim on it. "Well, I guess I might just feel like sharing it."

An hour later Sam wiped her hands on an old rag, trying to get as much grease of them as possible. "Well, that should hold the 15 miles till the next town. But we'll have to stop at a garage to make the proper reparations."

"Can you do it?" Cassie asked anxiously. This motorcycle had always meant a lot to her, but only during their current road-trip had she realised just how important it had become. And not just as a mode of transportation but rather for what it stood. "I mean, we'll be able to finish our trip, right?"

"We might have to stop for a few days but yes, I think we'll manage." Sam grinned at her adopted niece. "I'm me, remember?"

Cassie snorted. "Let's just hope they've got blue jell-o, 'cause Uncle Jack says you do your best work under the influence of that stuff!"

"Hey!" Sam tried to grab her but Cassie evaded her by stepping behind Sam's Indian Chief motorcycle. "What?" Cassie said with an innocent smile, "it's true, isn't it?"

Sam rolled her eyes, Cassie had a point after all, before putting on her helmet. "Let's switch motorbikes. And go slower, just to be safe, okay?"

Cassie wanted to protest but knew that this was a fight she'd never win so she simply nodded and got on Sam's Indian.

oxoxo

Sam was glad when she saw a city limit sign appear in front of her. Even though Cassie's Honda was holding up so far, it was becoming more and more difficult to control and she had to ask Cassie to slow down twice already.

"Place to stay or garage first?" Cassie asked through their bike to bike intercom system.

"Whatever comes first. This motorbike is getting worse by the minute," Sam answered tensely just as they entered what seemed to be the main street of Eureka. If she hadn't had to concentrate on the machine under her so much, she'd have appreciated the name much more.

A moment later there were two loud bangs in rapid succession and only her already low speed and Sam's quick reflexes allowed her to stop without falling. Swearing - and quickly reassuring Cassie that she was fine - Sam swung her leg over the seat and pushed the offending motorcycle into an empty parking space before squatting down to check out the damage. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Cassie stopping and turning around, moving back to join her.

"Problems?"

Sam looked up from her squatted position and, after seeing who was talking to her, let her head hung low for a second. That was just her luck.

"Mind taking that helmet off? I'd like to see who I'm talking to," Sheriff Jack Carter added just as the second rider stopped next to the first.

Sam winced slightly as she stood up, it felt like she pulled a muscle when she tried to stop herself from falling after all, and slowly took off her helmet. "Sheriff."

"Sam! What happened?" Cassie asked worriedly as she took off her own helmet.

Jack smiled at the two women in front of him. That wasn't exactly what he had expected when he asked the leather clad figure in front of him to take off the helmet. "Ladies."

"Nice rides," Deputy Jo Lupo said appreciatively as she circled them slowly.

"Yep." Sam motioned to the smoke coming from the Honda in front of her. "That's until the engine blows."

"Ouch," Jack frowned at the smoke. "You need a fire extinguisher or something?"

Sam shook her head. "Naw, that's alright. It's only smoke. But if you could point me in the direction of the garage, that would be great. I mean, you do have a garage around here, right?"

"Ah, yes, we do."

Cassie rolled her eyes and stepped up next to Sam. Holding out her hand she said, "Hi, I'm Cassie, that's Sam. And we're starving. Do you know any good food places around here?"

Jack blinked, then pointed behind their backs. "I can recommend Cafe Diem for food." Pointing at his name plate he added, "And Jack. I'm Sheriff Jack Carter. This is Deputy Jo Lupo."

A few steps away Jo closed her cell phone and came back to them. "Henry's coming over later to pick up your motorbike. Although judging by the looks of it, you won't be going anywhere else today."

"That's okay," Cassie said immediately. "I figured Eureka would be a good place to stop anyway."

"You did?" Sam and Jack asked at the same time. Upon finding herself on the receiving end of two pairs of raised eyebrows, Sam continued, "The route for our trip is Cassie's responsibility; I'm just along for the ride. Well, and I get to veto if I don't like the place we end up in."

"Yeah. Then we jump straight back onto our bikes and head for the next town," Cassie added right before she and Sam started giggling.

"Anything I should know about?" Jack asked, pointing at his sheriff's star as he did so.

Still smiling, Sam shook her head. "Let's just say there was this one time when we had different opinions on body hygiene."

"_Very_ different opinions!"

Jo nodded knowingly. "I hate it when that happens."

Sam stomach decided that now was the best time to make its boredom known. So it growled. Loudly. Snickering, Cassie pointed towards Cafe Diem. "See, I'm not the only one demanding food! Let's go! Thanks for your help, Sheriff Carter."

Before Sam could ask, the Sheriff pointed towards their luggage. "It should be safe right where it is."

"Maybe. But I don't think it will be needed in the garage," Sam said. "We should probably find a place to stay first, load off our stuff before eating."

Her stomach protested immediately. "I would say that, loosely translated, this means no," Cassie pointed out cheekily.

Jack grinned. "So you speak stomach too, huh?"

Cassie nodded. "Yeah. I kinda had no choice but to learn it, seeing how Sam tends to forget that eating is a very important part of life."

Sam crossed her arms in a mock-pout and glared at the younger woman. "Hey! I'm standing right here, you know?"

Grinning, Jack nodded toward his car. "Tell you what, why don't you put your stuff in the back of my jeep. I'm heading in the direction of our Bed and Breakfast anyway and I might just as well drop your stuff off."

"Sweet. Thanks!"

Sam wasn't ready to agree as quickly as Cassie. "Are you sure? I mean, playing pack mule for a couple of tourists isn't exactly part of your job, right? And you already helped with the garage."

Jack shrugged his shoulder. "It's a small town."

"And if everyone's as nice you we'll have a great time!" Cassie said with a big smile before starting to undo the straps holding her luggage in place, leaving Sam no choice but to follow suit.

Besides, Cassie had a point and it wasn't as if there was anything irreplaceable in their bags. Especially as she hadn't been allowed to bring her laptop. "Okay, okay," Sam gave in and started on her own bags. With the restrains gone, she tried to lift her bag off the back, only to let it fall back down with a groan.

"Sam!"

Taking a careful, experimental breath, Sam smiled sheepishly. "I'm fine." Three pairs of eyes glared at her, causing her cheeks to flush slightly. "I _am_ fine. Although I might have pulled something when the engine of Cassie's bike gave out on me and I tried _not_ to fall on my nose."

"You sure?" Jack asked concerned while shooing her away from her bag. Picking it up, he carried it over to his Jeep. "Cause we even have medical doctors in this small town."

"Small but progressive, huh?"

"Something like that." Jack pointed at her side, the one she was still rubbing. "You sure you're okay?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah, though I guess I better take it easy for a couple of days."

"And we'll start with a proper meal," Cassie said from where she was hovering at Sam's side.

"The Bed and Breakfast is less than a ten minute walk from here. Just ask anyone and they'll point you in the right direction," the sheriff said after he got into his car. "Enjoy your meal! Vince is a great cook."

"And don't worry about your motorcycle. Henry's the best. He'll easily fix it," Jo added before leaving as well.

"Right," Sam said to no one in particular. Looking up and down the quiet street, she linked arms with Cassie. "Let's eat."

oxoxo

"What are you smiling at?" Dr Allison Blake asked Jack when he entered Global Dynamics.

Dr Nathan Stark snorted as he stepped up next to her. "He probably dreamt about hordes of women running after him again."

"Nathan," Allison scolded him. "Stop it."

"Yeah," Jack added, "stop it. That's one nightmare I'd really like to forget."

"I shall mention it as often as possible then," Nathan said.

"I hadn't expected anything less," Jack deadpanned.

"Boys." Allison rolled her eyes at them. "Can't you just get along for once?"

"No," they answered in unison.

Allison sighed and shook her head in defeat. "Fine. Nathan, I'm sure you have somewhere else to be. Carter, with me, please."

"My pleasure," Jack said with a big grin plastered on his face while he waved Nathan goodbye.

"Carter."

Jack put his hands in his pockets and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. So, where are we going?"

"Down to the storage vault. I want you to have a look at the new security measurements, see if you can spot any possible problems," Allison said, leading him to the elevator. As the doors closed behind them, she turned to him. "And I'd still like to know what you were smiling at earlier."

"We've actually got a couple of tourists visiting. You should've seen their bikes, particularly the classic Indian Chief. Now that's what I call cool motorcycles."

Allison raised an eyebrow at his enthusiasm. "You know, Eureka isn't exactly known as being a tourist destination. How did they end up here? How long are they staying?"

"Oh, come on! Not everyone has sinister motives. Besides, one of the bikes broke down right in front of my office. I saw the smoke, there was nothing ominous behind it. I mean, if they had ulterior motives then they wouldn't have let me take their luggage over to the B&B while getting something to eat in Cafe Diem, right?"

"You took their luggage?" Allison just looked at him. "Let me guess. Our tourists are female."

"So?"

"Men!" Allison shook her head disapprovingly as they entered the vault. "Here, talk to Meyers. He's responsible for the storage vault."

Before Jack could reply Allison had vanished around a corner.

oxoxo

_A/N: Like it? Don't like it? Please review and let me know what you think._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

They entered Café Diem and immediately saw several heads turning in their direction. Sam shrugged it off; after all it happened all the time when they entered in their protective clothing. Spotting an empty table in the back, she led Cassie over. Putting her helmet on the table, she nodded towards the restroom. "I'll better get that grease off of my hands."

Cassie, in the middle of taking off her jacket, nodded in acknowledgement. She was hungry and the earlier they got food, the better. Sighing, she put the heavy leather jacket over the back of her chair. Moving their helmets out of the way, she looked for the menu.

"Hi, I'm Vincent. What can I do for you today?"

Cassie looked at the chubby man in front of her. "Uhm, do you have a menu?"

Vincent waved his hand dismissively. "No, that's boring. You just tell me what you want and I'll see what I can do."

"Really?" Vincent nodded. "Well, my friend is still in the restroom... ah, just ignore that. Can you get each of us a nice juice steak, fries and whatever veggies you have handy and a coke and diet coke to drink?"

"That's easy." Vincent smiled. "Anything else? Dessert, maybe?"

Cassie shook her head but quickly changed her mind. "Jell-o! Do you have jell-o? Blue jell-o? That'd be great!"

"Blue jell-o?"

"Yep. Oh, and Sam probably wants some coffee too." Cassie smiled openly. "Thanks. Sheriff Carter said you've got the best food in town."

Vincent raised his eyebrows. "He did?"

Cassie nodded enthusiastically. "Uh huh. He highly recommended you. Oh, and sorry about our clothes." Cassie motioned to her slightly sweaty shirt she'd been wearing under the leather jacket. "My bike broke down and we haven't really had a chance to change yet."

"Don't worry, sweetie." Cassie's stomach started to rumble. "And I'll better get going before you starve to death!"

Cassie grinned. Eureka promised to become one of the more interesting stops of their road trip. "Thanks!"

oxoxo

"Wow." Sam pushed her empty plate away. "That was great!"

"Thanks," Vincent said as he stepped up to the table. "Just wait till you've tasted the dessert. I'll be right back."

Sam groaned much to Cassie's amusement. "I don't think I can eat anything else."

Vincent was back just in time to hear her. "I've got blue jell-o."

Sam groaned again and led her head drop onto the table. Without looking, Sam slapped Cassie's arm as the younger woman started laughing at her.

"Just leave it here, Vincent. If there's one thing Sam can't resist, it's blue jell-o!"

"I'll never be able to move again," Sam protested, her head still resting on her arms.

"Best compliment ever," Vincent said proudly. He winked at Cassie and went back to his other customers.

"I really like this place," Cassie commented.

Sam raised her head and looked over. "Is there something I should know about?"

Cassie smirked. "That's for me to know and you to find out." She pushed the dessert in front of Sam. "But now is blue jell-o time!"

oxoxo

Zane stopped on his way to the Sheriff's office. Whistling, he walked around the two motorcycles parked out front. Jo wrapped her arms around him from behind, resting her chin on his shoulder. "Nice, huh?"

He nodded and turned around. After a quick kiss, he answered, "Yeah. Yours?"

"Nope. Tourists. In fact, they're in Café Diem right now."

"Really?" Zane stole another kiss. "Hungry?"

Snorting, Jo took his hand and pulled him over the road and towards the cafe. "Subtle. Very subtle. But I'll come anyway."

"So," Zane rubbed his hands and took a good look around the cafe as soon as they entered. "Where are they? I can't see any new guys."

Jo smiled teasingly and sat down at the counter, ordering their food.

"Oh come on!" Zane whined.

"What?" The teasing smile turned into a smirk. "I thought _you_ were the smart guy around here?"

Never one to turn down a challenge, Zane turned around and, resting his back against the counter, he scanned the cafe more thoroughly. He recognised every single customer directly in front of the counter and quickly dismissed them. Zane slowly turned to check other areas of the cafe and, yep, he knew most of those customers too. But there were two women he'd never seen before at a table in the back and Fargo of all people was talking to a couple he didn't recognise either.

Grinning, he looked at Jo. "No way!"

"Yeah." Taking his hand, she pulled him off of his chair. "Come on, I'll introduce you."

"Jo, hey," Cassie said, smiling openly at the couple as they approached the table.

Jo nodded at Sam, who was slouching in her chair with her eyes closed and her legs stretched out in front of her. "What's up with her?"

Cassie chuckled. "Food overload. Just ignore her."

"Hey!" Sam boxed Cassie into the arm without opening her eyes. "Just for that you're buying today."

Cassie easily ignored Sam's comment and concentrated on the newcomers. "Who's your friend?"

"Zane Donovan. At your service."

Jo snorted, rolling her eyes at Cassie. "He's been drooling over your bikes ever since he laid eyes on them. I figured I better introduce you so I can enjoy a drool-free meal."

Sam smiled. "Men are _so_ predictable."

"Yup," Cassie and Jo agree immediately.

"Whatever." Zane shrugged it off and quickly pulled two chairs over and sat down. "Where did you get them? I mean, a 1940 Indian Chief in such a good state? Someone _must_ have spent a lot of time to keep it that way."

"It's relaxing," Sam said without moving a muscle.

"Seriously?"

Cassie nodded. "Sam found it in a scrap yard and rebuilt it completely. Probably tuned it to go faster than it's supposed to go as well."

"No comment," Sam replied, a slow smile spreading across her face.

"She's a bit of a speed freak," Cassie said in a stage whisper. "Anyway, she also found the Honda and we've rebuilt it together a few years ago." Narrowing her eyes at Sam who was still sitting with closed eyes, she added, "Of course, she also made sure it only goes up to a certain speed."

"Which is more than fast enough for you," Sam said evenly. At the smell of more food, she opened one eye - just in time to see Vincent put down two plates in front of Jo and Zane. Groaning, she opened her other eye as well. "That smells delicious."

"Thanks!" Vincent smiled. "Want some?"

"No!" Blushing at her fierce reply, she quickly amended, "I mean not now. I'm too stuffed to do anything but breathe."

"Yeah," Cassie added helpfully, while moving out of Sam's reach. "I even had to feed her the last bits of jell-o because Sam couldn't move."

"Wait here," Vincent said excitedly, "I might just have the right thing for you!"

Before Sam could protest, he was gone. A couple of minutes later he was back, putting two steaming cups in front of Sam and Cassie. "Here, try that." Sam wanted to protest but Vincent held up his hand. "Just try it. Trust me."

Cassie didn't have Sam qualms and had a drink. She blinked, and blinked again and then she started to grin. "Whoa! That really works. Thanks Vincent."

"You are very welcome!"

Sam and Cassie kept Jo and Zane company while they had their lunch, talking about motorcycles and other random things. But the closer they got to the end of it, the more restless Sam became.

"Is something wrong?" Jo asked eventually.

"Naw," Cassie replied easily. "Sam just wants to check on my motorcycle. See how long it will take her to fix it."

Sam smile sheepishly but didn't deny it. "I guess after Miss Smarty-Pants over here sold me out already, I might just as well ask you for directions to the garage."

Cassie huffed, although the grin on her face betrayed her. "I think I'll check us into the B & B. Have a shower, have a look around town." Grinning at Jo and Zane, she added, "I just need to find someone who can point me in the right direction."

"I can do more than that, I can give you a lift," Zane said immediately. "And Jo would shoot me if I'd try anything."

Jo wriggled her eyebrows at him, but didn't say anything. Still, it was enough to prevent Sam from worrying about that arrangement. So, after getting instructions from Jo and saying goodbye to Cassie, Sam got onto her Indian and drove to the garage.

It didn't take her long to reach it and, after switching her motorcycle off, she went in search for this Henry everybody talked about. She could see Cassie's Honda, so she assumed he was around as well.

"Hello? Anybody here?"

"One sec!" came from the inside of the building.

Sam moved towards the door nearest to where the voice had come from but waited outside. She didn't know the man and didn't want to intrude by going inside uninvited. The next moment the door she'd been waiting at opened and a man in old overalls and a hat stepped out. "Can I help you?"

"Are you-" Sam's eyes opened wide when he turned to face her fully. "Henry Deacon!"

"Samantha?" Laughing out loud, Henry pulled her into a hug. "Samantha Carter! How are you? And what are you doing in Eureka?"

oxoxo

_A/N: Thanks for the reviews! _


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Henry?" Sam was laughing and wincing at the same time. "What are you doing here?"

"Working," he said absently as he gave her a once over. "Are you okay?"

"Just a pulled muscle," she said easily. Grinning, she pointed at Cassie's bike as she continued, "When this beasty tried to throw me off."

Henry turned to see what she pointed at before laughing out loud again. Pointing at her bike he said, "Let me guess, that's the Indian Chief I've heard so much about in front of the Sheriff's office."

"Yep." Sam nodded. "And the Honda is Cassie's."

"Your niece, right? And that's the Honda you worked on while you were heading Research and Development at Area 51," Henry said slowly. Shaking his head in amusement, he added, "So, Jo said you're tourists?"

"Yeah. We've been on the road for the past two weeks. I finally found the time for the promised road trip," Sam smiled lopsidedly. "And now this."

Henry stroked his chin, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "Yep, and now this. One of your motorcycles breaking down and you're being stuck here until the replacement parts arrive."

Sam sighed. "I figured you probably had to order them first. I guess we'll have to hang out for a couple of days, then."

"Uh huh." Henry put his hands in the pockets of his overalls and chuckled quietly. "Looks like it."

Tilting her head slightly, Sam narrowed her eyes at him. "What?"

"Eureka?"

"So?"

Henry could see the literal wheels turning in her head and he couldn't help but laugh when Sam finally connected the dots.

"Eureka!?" she repeated in disbelief. "Global _Dynamics'_ Eureka?"

"Yep, the one and only." Henry raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You really didn't know?"

"No! Wow." Sam took a deep breath to calm her fast beating heart. She was glad Henry gave her the time she needed to collect her thoughts. After several moments of staring into the distance, she turned back to him. "Uhm, could we keep this-?"

"-between us?" Henry finished for her. Giving a quick nod, he added, "Sure. Let me introduce myself, Henry Deacon, I'm going to repair your motorcycle."

Sam returned his grin as she shook his offered hand. "Nice to meet you. Sam Carter, tourist."

Chuckling, he motioned towards his workshop behind them. "Wanna take a look?"

"I'd love to!" She took the offered arm and followed him inside.

Henry smiled. "By the way, I like the long hair. It suits you."

Blushing slightly, she wrapped her braid around her finger. "Thanks. I kinda like it too."

oxoxo

Zoe was slumped in the passenger seat, pointedly looking out of the side window. She ignored her dad's repeated looks in her direction as best as she could. Her only problem was that this wasn't as satisfying as she had hoped. Huffing, she turned towards him, her eyes narrowed. "I can't believe you wouldn't let Lucas drive me home. He's a very good driver. Besides, he's way too scared of you to try anything."

"Good." Jack grinned at his daughter. "I always knew there were advantages to being a small-town sheriff."

"Yeah, if you call destroying your daughter's love-life an advantage," Zoe complained.

"Absolutely."

_"Urgh_!" Zoe threw her arms up in frustration and went back to looking out the window. "That's _so_ not fair!"

Jack chuckled and was about to make a peace offering of pizza for dinner when Henry's garage appeared around the corner. Noticing the two motorcycles, he changed his mind and slowed down. He got out of the car and waited for Zoe to follow. "Come on, I wanna show you something really _classic_."

Zoe sighed. "It's not like I've got anything else to do," she grumbled.

"Love you too," Jack replied, unfazed by his daughter's display. "Now have a look at that!"

Zoe let her eyes wander to where her dad was pointing. "Wow."

"I know." Jack grinned and went over to Henry's workshop. Opening the door, he called, "Hey! Anybody in here?"

Moments later, Henry walked out with Sam close behind him. "Jack! What can I do for you? Zoe, hey."

"Get my car fixed?" Zoe asked hopefully. "It's not like I'm ever gonna have a social life without it! Dad won't even let Lucas drive me home from school."

Sam smiled lopsidedly. "Boyfriend?"

Jack sighed and let his head fall onto his chest. "Unfortunately."

Rolling her eyes, Zoe turned to the newcomer. "Just ignore him. Is that yours?"

Grinning, Sam looked over her beloved motorcycle. "Yep. I rebuilt it myself and love tinkering with it. It's very relaxing." Nodding towards the other motorcycle, she added, "And once we've got that one running again, Cassie and I are back on the road."

"Though it probably will be a couple of days until the replacement parts arrive," Henry answered Jack's unasked question.

"So, who's this Cassie and is there any chance of me getting a ride?" Zoe asked eagerly. It wasn't that she was overly interested in motorcycles to begin with, but it beat getting a ride from the town's sheriff by miles. Especially if the town's sheriff was your dad as well.

Sam couldn't help but grin at Jack Carter's expression. "I guess it could be arranged," she said, winking at Zoe. "And Cassie's my niece."

"Sweet!" Zoe grinned and held out her hand. "Hi, I'm Zoe Carter. Nice to meet you."

Sam groaned inwardly. She'd forgotten about that. Shaking Zoe's hand, she said, "I'm Sam. Nice to meet you too."

"Sam...?" Jack asked expectantly.

Henry was snickering in the background and Sam turned around, narrowing her eyes at him. Turning back to Jack, she gave him sheepish look. "Carter. My name is Samantha Carter. But Sam is fine."

"Carter? Really?"

Sam grinned. "Yep. Born and bred."

"Cool. Do you think we're related?" Zoe asked, intrigued by the idea of finding a new relative right here in Eureka.

"Carter isn't exactly a rare name," Henry pointed out. "So the chances of you are actually being related are pretty low."

Meanwhile, Sam was shaking her head in disbelief, though the smile never left her face. Jack, who'd been watching her closely ever since she told them her full name, asked, "Sam?"

"One sec!" She held up one hand while fishing out her cell phone with the other. Opening it, she dialled a well-known number. "Cassandra, my dear! How are you?" she asked in a rather sweet voice. "Any chance you've forgotten to mention something? ... Uh huh. Wait, it's easier if I put you on speakerphone."

Sam held her cell phone in front of her and, looking at Jack, asked, "Remember how I told you Cassie was responsible for our route?"

"Uhm, yes?"

"She used the Carter side of my family tree as starting point and picked a route from that," Sam explained.

"I figured it'd be more interesting than to close my eyes and throw darts at a map," Cassie added from the other side of the cell phone.

"And?" Sam asked. "_Did_ Eureka turn up on the radar?"

"Well," Cassie drawled out. "Do you remember your grandpa Edwin? And did he by any chance mention a cousin Harry?"

"Whoa!" Jack took a step back and ran his fingers through his hair. "My gramps Harry used to complain about his, and I quote, _'spineless cousin Edwin who ran off to do some girl's job instead of fighting for his country like everyone else did'_."

Sam shook her head in disbelief as she chuckled. "Grandpa Edwin was a biology teacher - with an immense dislike for _any_ kind of weapon."

Jack nodded his head in agreement. "Gramps Harry joined the Texas Rangers as soon as he was old enough. He also collected guns - and made sure each of them was in perfect working order. He taught me how to shoot in the first place."

"I can see why they didn't get along," Zoe said.

"Me too," Cassie added. "By the way, congrats Sam, it's a cousin!"

"Third cousin," Sam corrected automatically.

"Whatever." Sam could almost see Cassie shrug on the other side of her cell phone. "I like him."

"Uh, thanks?" Jack replied with raised eye-brows, his hands hidden deep in his pockets.

Sam, unconsciously mimicking Jack's posture with her free hand, switched off her phone and smiled wryly. "Awkward much?"

Jack sighed in relief of not being the only one feeling that way. "Absolutely!"

"I think it's cool," Zoe said. "And now that we've established that we're actually related, you can't possibly say no to a test ride with Sam. Because we're cousins too, right?"

"That's-!" Jack started but was at a loss of words, seeing how Zoe did have a point.

"Sneaky?" Sam offered, smiling brilliantly at father and daughter. She had to agree with Cassie, she liked these new relatives of hers.

Jack's cell phone started to ring before he could protest any further. He walked a few steps away to answer it and, after a short conversation, came back. "I'm afraid I have to go. Henry, can you make sure Zoe gets home?"

"No problem."

Jack hugged his daughter before driving off.

"So," Zoe said eagerly, "Do you have any plans for tonight? I mean, you two could come for dinner and we could hang out, talk about this being cousins thing."

"I don't know if that's such a good idea," Sam said cautiously. "We've only just met and I don't want to intrude."

"Don't worry, you won't intrude. Besides, S.A.R.A.H. loves company and I know for sure that she won't mind cooking for four instead of two," Zoe said easily. "Please?"

"Who's Sarah?"

Zoe smiled innocently at Sam. "You'll just have to come by if you wanna meet her. _And_ you better give me a lift home so you know where we live, because it can easily be missed."

Henry laughed out loud at Zoe's smug face and Sam chuckled in respect at being outmanoeuvred so smoothly. Besides, if it turned out Jack had other plans, she and Cassie could always go back to their B&B. Still, she looked over at Henry and, after receiving an encouraging nod of his head, she agreed.

oxoxo

"Allison, what can I do for you?" Jack asked upon entering her office.

"Carter," Nathan said from where he was leaning against Allison's desk.

"Oh, hey, I didn't see you," Jack replied in mock-surprise. "You sure you aren't just a hologram or something?"

"Keep dreaming."

Jack shrugged his shoulders. "Sure. No problem." Blending Nathan out completely, Jack gave Allison his most charming smile. "So, Allison, have you got any plans for tonight? I could ask S.A.R.A.H. to cook something nice and we could watch the game, gossip about Nathan and his failures. Have fun, you know?"

Allison couldn't help but laugh at Jack's quick wit - and Nathan's reaction to it. Then again, Nathan had been asking for it.

"Very funny."

Jack scrunched up his face and looked around the office. He gave a short hum, then looked questioningly at Allison. "Did you hear that?"

Still smiling, she shook her head at his antics. Slapping his chest slightly, she said, "Behave."

"But it's fun and he makes it so easy," Jack mock-whined. With Allison rolling her eyes at him he figured he'd gotten the maximum out of the situation. "Okay, why did you call me?"

"How are our tourists, Carter?" Nathan asked, a smug look on his face. "I've heard they're right down your alley."

"You have _no_ idea just how far down my alley they are." Jack wriggled his eyebrows suggestively before following Allison out of the office.

"You just had to have the last word," she commented with a shake of her head.

"_O-oh_ yes." Seeing her raised eyebrows, he quickly added, "And there's nothing between me and Sam, you know that, right?"

"Sam, huh?" Allison asked, eyes twinkling with mirth.

Jack started to answer, but then he realised she was only mocking him. Smiling himself, he said, "Fine. You win."

"I know."

oxoxo

_A/N: Thanks again to those who reviewed. As you might have figured out already I'm aiming for weekly updates. Now, next up is Sam and Cassie meeting S.A.R.A.H.. And Nathan Stark. Hehe. _


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Cassie took off her helmet and gave Sam a rather sceptical look. "Are you sure this is the right place? It looks so ... bunkery."

"It's where Zoe had me drop her off. And there's Jack's car." Sam pointed to the left before opening the entrance to the bunker.

"If you say so." Cassie was still sceptical and the old, in desperate need of paint looking staircase leading down into the semi-darkness didn't exactly help. "Your family sure has a thing for bunkers, huh?"

Sam snorted and ruffled Cassie's hair, much to the younger woman's chagrin.

oxoxo

Sheriff Jack Carter was sniffing the air. He'd just taken a shower - Allison's latest request had ended with him covered in mud - and now there was an aroma in the air that hadn't been there before. More importantly, it was an aroma that brought a big grin to his face. Quickly pulling on his jeans and a clean t-shirt he left his bedroom and went back downstairs.

"Zoe? Is that SARAH's famous lasagne I'm smelling?" Jack entered the kitchen, then walked into the living room in search of his daughter. He frowned as he took in the room. "Wow. You actually cleaned up and put your stuff away."

"Well, you asked me to, didn't you?"

Jack tilted his head and had a closer look at her. He knew that expression. "Zoe, what aren't you telling me?"

Zoe lifted her hand as a sign of pure innocence. "Nothing."

Their doorbell rang before Jack could ask another question.

"SARAH, door." Zoe was out of the living room and waiting for the door to open before her dad could react. "Sam, hi! Cassie, right? Hi, I'm Zoe."

While Cassie stared in awe at her surroundings, Sam walked over to Jack. Giving him a sheepish smile, she asked, "Zoe didn't mention this, did she?"

"Ah, well..."

"By the way, dad, I've invited Sam and Cassie for dinner," Zoe said casually as she pulled Cassie with her into the kitchen.

Sam giggled. Seeing Jack's naked feet didn't help either. "Sorry. We could leave again?"

"But we haven't met yet and I have prepared a special dinner."

Sam's eyes opened wide in surprise. The voice seemed to have come from all around her rather than one defined location.

Jack closed his eyes for a second, sighing deeply. "SARAH, door."

With the door seemingly closing on its own, the penny dropped and Sam grinned. "The house?"

"Yeah." Jack rubbed the top of his head before officially introducing Sam to SARAH and vice versa.

"It is a great pleasure to meet you. Zoe said you didn't know you and Sheriff Carter were related?"

"That's right. I don't know where Cassie dug this up but she found it nevertheless," Sam said, curiously looking around the room. "I have to say, SARAH, I really like your style."

"Thank you, Ms Carter." SARAH's voice sounded rather pleased by the compliment. She even dimmed the lights for a second.

Sam chuckled. "You aren't blushing, are you? And please call me Sam."

This time the lights flickered, causing Sam to giggle.

Jack smiled and whispered, "You just made her day."

Zoe and Cassie came back from the kitchen with Cassie sporting an expression of absolute amazement. "Now that's what a call a good looking bunker! No signs of the so called grey-in-grey chic. SARAH, you are _beautiful_!"

"Thank you Miss Frasier!"

"Cassie, please."

"I really like your new relatives, Sheriff Carter!" SARAH said in a warm tone. "And your dinner will be ready in seven minutes and 38 seconds."

"Thanks." Jack offered Sam and Cassie a seat on the couch before sitting down himself. "Uhm, Cassie, that almost sounded like you've been in a bunker before?"

"School-trip to NORAD, you know, being from Colorado Springs and all that." Cassie said easily. Not only was it true but it also gave a great cover story in case she said something she shouldn't have known without actually visiting the place. "But SARAH is so much cooler! How'd you get her? I mean, it's pretty advanced, isn't it? Like one of those prototype thingies they love to talk in science shows about?"

"That is correct, Cassie. I am unique," SARAH answered proudly.

"Yeah." Jack snorted before nodding in amusement. "SARAH really _is_ one of a kind. We moved in because we needed a home when I came to Eureka and SARAH kinda grew on us."

Sam tilted her head, her eyes slightly narrowed.

"Is something wrong?" Jack asked.

"No," Sam said slowly, shaking her head. "Just ... SARAH is an abbreviation, isn't it?"

"It stands for Self Actuated Residential Automated Habitat." SARAH explained.

"Okay, is it just me or did someone try to fit that to the actual name Sarah?" Cassie asked.

Jack nodded. "That'd be Fargo."

"He's really into Sarah Michelle Gellar, you know, the actress playing Buffy? He even tried to get her as voice for SARAH," Zoe explained as she led them to the dinner table. "And dad's pretty sure when that didn't work out Fargo used his own voice to model SARAH's on. Of course Fargo denies it."

Sam chuckled quietly, thinking it was still much better than walking into a house only to be greeted by your own voice without warning. She should know, after all that's exactly what had happened with Narim's house on Tollana, the Tollan's new home planet. Although she couldn't exactly say that out loud.

Dinner turned out to be a rather merry event. Not only was the food delicious, the entertainment Zoe and Cassie provided wasn't all that bad either. Despite their age difference they'd hit it off right from the start and all throughout dinner they were comparing their high school experiences. Of course, that also dealt with a teenager's bane of existence - often referred to as parents.

Sam and Jack used this opportunity to perfect their respective eye-rolling.

"Okay," Zoe said thoughtfully while she and Cassie cleared the table. A smirk quickly appearing and disappearing, she asked, "First kiss?"

Sam almost dropped the dessert. Luckily she was close enough to the table so she managed to put the cake down with a loud thud rather than have it fall onto the floor. Jack wasn't reacting much better. "_Zo-e_!"

Cassie and Zoe laughed out loud and high-fived each other. "Sorry dad, but you make it so easy. It's hard to resist."

"Yeah, well, you won't do any of that until you're thirty. At least."

Smiling sweetly, Zoe put a slice of cheesecake on a plate and handed it to her dad. "Sure. And Jo had Luke sleep in a locked jail cell because?"

"Zoe!" Jack groaned pitifully. "You just had to remind me, didn't you? I'd almost forgotten about it."

"You're welcome, dad." Zoe said cheerfully before quickly explaining how she and Luke had ended up working in the sheriff's office on their school project.

Cassie made quick eye-contact with Sam before saying casually, "At least you didn't pass out."

"No, really!?" Zoe stared at her open-mouthed. "You're joking, right?"

"Nope." Sam shook her head, smiling slightly. "Poor guy thought Cassie's mom was going to shoot him or something."

"Oh no, _you_ scared him to death, not mom," Cassie clarified immediately. "And it didn't exactly help that Uncle Jack, Daniel and T wanted to meet him too. It's a miracle he didn't run off screaming."

Sam patted Cassie's hand. "I guess he must have liked you after all."

"Come on, I want details!" Zoe said. "That's better than any TV show!"

"I don't really want to know, do I?" Jack said, his head tilted slightly to the side.

Sam grinned. "It's not _that_ bad. Cassie hadn't been feeling too good for a couple of days prior and it turned out the flu caught up with her at the worst possible moment."

"On my birthday too," Cassie grumbled. "I mean, you only turn 16 once and then that! Instead of hanging out with my friends I had to spend the next two weeks in hospital."

"Wow. That must have been some flu," Jack commented. The expression on Cassie's and Sam's face told him everything he needed to know. "And not a recommendable kiss-preventing treatment, huh?"

"Hey, you mentioned your uncles. What are they like? I mean, we're related to them as well, right?" Zoe asked eagerly.

"Yeah," Jack added smugly, "I could always use more help at keeping an eye on Zoe's prospective boyfriends."

"We aren't really related," Cassie said with a shrug of her shoulders.

Jack was going to ask how that worked exactly when he felt a slight kick against his foot. Knowing it could only have come from one person, he locked eyes with Sam and quickly changed topic. "So, any chance I can interest you in a game of baseball?"

Cassie's eyes lit up immediately. "You mean the highlights of today's game? That was my original plan for tonight!"

"Really?" Jack asked in surprise.

"Duh!" Cassie rolled her eyes. "I _love_ baseball."

Jack looked questioningly at Sam. "It's alright, I suppose. Besides, I've eaten too much. Again. And sitting still sounds like a great plan."

"Sweet!" Cassie rubbed her hands together in anticipation. "We've got ... six minutes." Upon Zoe's long suffering sigh, she turned to the teenager. "It's great for butt-watch. I mean, have you ever noticed how tight those baseball pants get when the guys move?"

"Huh. Never looked at it that way," Zoe admitted. One look at her dad, and his discomfort at that particular idea, and Zoe was feeling much better. "But it sounds like a great idea. Let's go and check out some butts!"

Forty minutes later had all of them sprawled over various surfaces in front of the big screen TV. Cassie and Zoe were sitting in front of the couch, their backs resting against it, a bowl of popcorn sitting within easy reach. They were whispering over certain anatomic parts of the players and Jack did his very best not to listen to them. However, every time he was deep enough engrossed into the game that he forgot about it one or, worse, both of them started to giggle and he was reminded of it again. Still, the game was good and he enjoyed it.

Turning his head to the right to ask Sam how she liked it he was surprised to find her fast asleep. Nudging Zoe with his foot, he nodded towards Cassie. A moment later, she was looking back at him as well. Following his pointed finger, she saw Sam resting comfortably against the backrest of the couch, her legs stretched out in front of her.

"Remember her almost falling off my bike earlier today?" Cassie asked quietly. "Turns out she really pulled a muscle in her side. She's been taking a couple of painkillers for it but they tend to make her sleepy. Besides, she didn't get much sleep last night." A wicked grin appearing on her face, she continued, "We were staying in this totally clichéd motel, bright pink outer lights and paper-thin walls included and our neighbours were _very_ busy throughout the night, if you get my drift. I just used ear plugs but Sam can't sleep with them. So she got the cheap entertainment and I got the good night's sleep."

Jack groaned. "That was _way_ too much information."

"I know." Cassie grinned and, together with Zoe, dissolved into a fit of giggles. "But totally worth it!"

"Yeah, yeah." Jack grumbled good-naturedly. He took the light blanket from the end of the couch and spread it over Sam before settling down again to watch the rest of the game.

Later, after Sam and Cassie had left with Cassie assuring them that she, rather than Sam, was driving them back to their B&B, Jack and Zoe made their way up the stairs. Following Zoe into her room, he asked, "So, what do you think?"

"I really like them." Zoe said without thinking. "They're fun. Cassie gave some great tips for-"

"Ah!" Jack covered his ears and shut his eyes tightly. "I don't wanna know. I _really_ don't wanna know."

Zoe smirked. "That's what makes it so much fun." Becoming serious, she added, "She had some really bad luck, you know. Cassie, I mean."

"Does that have something to do with her uncles not really being her uncles?"

"Yeah. Her entire family died when she was about twelve and she was adopted. Sam and the guys she mentioned earlier where friends of her new mom and sort of adopted her as well."

The tone of his daughter's voice made him take her hand in his. Besides, Sam kicking him under the table just as he was about to ask about Cassie's family told him the story didn't have a happy ending. "What happened?"

Zoe looked up with tears in her eyes. "It's so sad! Her adoptive mom died too and Sam became her guardian for a few months until she turned 18. I mean, I screwed up big time just because you and mom were separating when Cassie didn't lose her mom just once but twice before she even turned 18!"

Jack hugged Zoe close and kissed the top of her head. "I guess we just have to adopt her too, right?"

"I love you, dad."

"Love you too."

oxoxo

"And news on our tourists?" Jo asked as soon as Jack entered the office.

"And their motorcycles?" Zane added.

Jack glared at Zane. "Shouldn't you be, oh I don't know, at work?"

Rolling his eyes, even though Jack was right, Zane gave Jo a quick kiss. "See you later."

"Okay, what's going on?"

Jack shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing."

"Yeah, and Fargo won't press any buttons he shouldn't press for the next month."

"Save the sarcasm." Jack poured himself a cup of coffee. "And our tourists are fine. I hope. Cassie turned up this morning to give Zoe a ride to school."

"And you just let her?" Jo narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you sure you're feeling well? Or should I call Dr Blake? Just to be on the safe side?"

"Naw, I'm fine. Zoe and I decided to adopt Cassie last night."

Shaking her head, Jo lifted up the phone and started to dial. Jack quickly came over and took the telephone receiver from her. "Calm down. Any chance you caught Sam's surname yesterday?"

"No, why?"

"It's Carter. Her name is Sam Carter. Turns out we're third cousins. Cassie chose their route according to Sam's relatives - including some she'd discovered through expanding a family tree she had to make in school. Zoe really loved the idea of meeting new relatives and invited them over for dinner, that's all."

Jo thought about it for a moment before her face brightened. "Hey! That means you can get me a test-ride on the Indian!"

Jack groaned but his ringing phone saved him from answering. Instead of giving Jo an answer, he ran off to solve the newest problem around Eureka.

oxoxo

_A/N: Thanks for the reviews! They make my muses happy and happy muses write faster. Well, happy muses are more inclined to tell me what to write. LOL. Anyway, I had a lot of fun writing this but it turned out a bit longer than expected (if you read my other stories, you'll know that that happens quite frequently...) so no Nathan in here. BUT I'm already giggling my way through the next chapter. Literally. And Nathan Stark certainly plays a big part in that one. Also, anyone know of a good Eureka fanfiction site?_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Allison, noticing Nathan's searching eyes outside Café Diem, sighed and grabbed his arm, forcing him to stop.

"What?" he asked, frowning in irritation.

She pointed at the only motorcycle in sight. "Do you really want to have lunch with _me_?"

"Allison." He stroked her arms in an attempt to bring her back onto his side. "I just want to protect Global Dynamics. Make sure they are nothing more but tourists. And yes, I really want to have lunch with you."

Knowing he had a point, even though she wasn't particularly happy with the way he went about it, she nodded and followed him into Café Diem. She could hear Sheriff Carter laughing before she even spotted him. He was sitting at a table to the side, together with Deputy Lupo and two women she'd never seen before.

Opposite him sat a young brunette and she was currently talking with a wide grin on her face, causing further outbursts of laughter from those around her. The second woman, a blonde of about Carter's age, was sitting next to him and shaking her head in amusement before she leaned in close to him and whispered something into his ear that had him almost spit out the coffee he'd just drunk.

"They sure seem cosy," Nathan commented from her side. "Want to see what's so funny?"

As Nathan hadn't waited for her reply, all Allison could do was to follow him to the sheriff's table.

"Carter, I see you've made some new friends," Nathan said, stopping in front of the table, arms crossed in front of him.

"Stark." Jack leaned back in his chair and casually put his arm around Sam's shoulder. "Jealous?"

Snorting, Nathan gave a half-grin. "Keep on dreaming, Carter."

"Hm." Cassie narrowed her eyes and scratched her chin while she gave Stark a thorough once over. Having given Zoe Sam's helmet with the integrated com-system, the teenager had willingly explained the dynamics in Eureka on the way to school. So Cassie knew all about Jack, Allison Blake and Nathan Stark. "I think you're right. Tall, dark and broody looks a bit green-eyed."

"What!?" Nathan all but shouted in a rather high-pitched voice.

Cassie snickered at the expression of complete disbelief on Stark's face. "Geez! That was so easy it almost wasn't funny."

"But only _almost_," Jack was quick to point out.

"Yep."

Nathan turned to Allison but she only shrugged her shoulders. In fact, she looked rather amused by the whole situation. "Sorry, but you've run straight into that one."

"Fine." Nathan huffed and turned back to the table. "So, introductions, Carter?"

Sam and Jack shared a look, turned to Stark in unison for a moment before looking back at each other. They waved their right hands as if to ask 'You? Me? Both?' and generally kept up what looked like a silent conversation. While Jo and Cassie fought hard to keep a straight face, both Nathan and Allison looked a bit lost.

Jo was the first to break down. Biting the inside of her cheek to stop herself from laughing out loud, she pointed first at Cassie and then at Sam. "Cassie, Sam. Tourists."

Sam and Jack immediately stopped their antics and Sam smiled brilliantly at them and gave a short wave. "Hi."

oxoxo

Henry walked into Café Diem, fully intending to order his lunch to go. However, as soon as he entered he found that everyone's attention was on a table to the side. Seeing what that was about, he quickly changed his plans.

A face-off between Dr Nathan Stark and Dr Samantha Carter? He couldn't wait. Especially as Sam wanted to keep her identity a secret. It helped that she hadn't published much in the past several years, at least not officially. Of course, there were the top secret - and anonymised - papers, some of which he was certain had found their way to Global Dynamics.

In fact, from working with her at Area 51 a few years back, he knew some of her projects had ended up at Global Dynamics. Again, signed off with a unique letter-number combination only. Then there were other projects clearly being handed down from the Stargate Program. Not that he knew much more about it than the bare minimum - and that there was a place for him if he could see himself working towards specific targets rather than his own interests.

Henry still gave Sam much credit for being upfront with him, for telling him the restrictions he would need to adhere to if he decided to work for them. It had been a tempting offer and he had thought long and hard about it. In the end his ideals on how research should work had won out over the possibilities Sam had to offer. Albeit barely. Then again, Sam had left the door open for him if he should ever change his mind.

It only took a minute of watching the two brilliant scientists interact to know this was going to be good. Really good. Even though Sam seemed to be serious about staying anonymous, he hoped he'd be there if she ever told Dr Nathan Stark just how much she knew about his work. And how little he knew about hers.

Quietly chuckling to himself, Henry settled into a more comfortable position and continued to watch.

oxoxo

Allison was sure she was missing something big, but she knew her manners and introduced herself. "Allison Blake."

"_Dr_ Allison Blake," Nathan pointed out quickly. "_Dr_ Nathan Stark."

Sam had given Cassie a quick explanation of Eureka, mainly so she wouldn't say something that'd compromise the low profile Sam wanted to keep. Therefore Cassie wasn't surprised - or impressed - by their titles. In fact, she was on a roll. Keeping her face straight, she asked, "Oh! Do you, like, share patients?"

This time Jack lost the fight and choked on his coffee. Sam slapped his back helpfully, even if it jostled her injured side. She was having way too much fun not to.

Nathan rolled his eyes. "Not _that_ kind of doctor. I'm talking PhDs. Multiple PhDs, actually. That and Allison actually does have an MD too."

"Isn't that a bit of overkill?" Cassie asked innocently.

Nathan sighed deeply. "No, it isn't."

"If you say so." Cassie shrugged her shoulders and reached for her coffee.

Nathan being Nathan couldn't stand being dismissed so easily. "I also won a Nobel Prize in Mathematics," he said proudly.

"Really?" Sam looked up with interest, even though she technically knew about it already. The kick against her foot reminded her of her role, though, and she quickly added, "I've always liked maths in high school."

Nathan snorted. "You liked maths in high school."

Although his condescending tone pissed her off a little, Sam kept smiling. "Yep. It was one of my favourite subjects."

With Allison telling him to be nice in a whisper, Nathan took a deep breath instead of giving the answer he wanted to. "Favourite subject?" he asked instead. "What did you like in particular? Algebra, calculus or some more advanced maths like statistics and combinatorics?"

"Mr Cantellari." Sighing dreamily, a slow smile spreading across her face, she all but breathed, "Striking face, great body - and tight enough clothes to show it off. Pure eye candy."

The look of utter disbelief on Nathan's face had everyone at Sam's table laughing. Even Allison was chuckling beside him.

oxoxo

"Dr Nathan Stark speechless? That's a day to remember," Vincent whispered from behind Henry.

Henry chuckled in agreement but Zane, who'd entered the cafe a few minutes earlier, had shown the quickest reaction. He'd pulled out his cell phone and snapped a picture. "Never hurts to have some black mail material," he said after showing the snapshot to Henry.

Grabbing his lunch, Zane slowly made his way over to the table everyone's attention had been at for the past few minutes. He picked up a chair from the table next to it and unceremoniously sat down next to Jo. "Hey."

Meanwhile Nathan had managed to close his mouth again.

"Good," Jack said immediately. "I thought for a moment Sam had managed to break you."

"Carter," Allison said almost pleadingly. But this time Jack wasn't giving in so easily. "Come on, Allison. We all thought Nathan's expression was hilarious. Even you."

"Thanks, Allison," Nathan said, having found his voice again. And, naturally, the sarcasm in it was just as prominent as always.

It was also enough to tell Sam she hadn't gone too far. In fact, it only confirmed a decision she was involved in making a few years ago. Dr Nathan Stark was unlikely to fit in the Stargate Program. Although she couldn't say who had the bigger ego - Nathan Stark or Rodney McKay - one of Rodney's more annoying traits also made him more suitable to the program.

His hypochondriac tendencies made him think at least twice before taking risks. When your actions have consequences not only for yourself but those around you, this was at least as important as a brilliant scientific mind. Besides, Rodney was kind of sweet - once you got to know him and in his very own way.

Although, a face-off between the two? Now that was a scary thought. Not to mention a funny one, too.

"Sam?" Jack asked, touching her hand to get her attention. "You okay?"

She blinked once, twice and looked around the table. Blushing slightly, she asked, "I kinda zoned out, didn't I?"

Cassie nodded. "Yup. You missed Stark stalking off, but don't worry-"

"Somehow I do now," Sam said wryly.

"-I checked out his butt for the both of us."

"_Cassie_!" Jack shuddered and scrunched up his face. "I _so_ didn't need to hear that!"

"I know." She smiled sweetly and patted his arm. "I'm just trying to help out Zoe."

oxoxo

Henry smiled as the people around Sam's table broke out laughing again. This time Jack seemed to be the one at the receiving end. He couldn't be absolutely sure, now that everyone's attention had gone back to their own business and the noise levels in the cafe had picked up again, but the way Jack looked was pretty telling.

Allison sat down next to Henry while Nathan remained standing. "Lunch for two to go, Vincent."

"Nathan, Allison," Henry nodded in acknowledgement before digging into his food. "How are things?"

"Please tell me those two are ready to leave?" Nathan asked none too friendly.

Henry shook his head. "Sorry. I won't get the replacement parts until Monday. They'll be here for another few days."

"Carter seems friendly enough with them," Allison said. "What do you think?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Henry put his fork down. "I've only talked to Sam and I liked her. She told me they've been on the road for the past two weeks and they've about another week before they need to be back. I got the impression they're taking every day as it comes."

"Why Eureka? It isn't exactly known for its touristic values," Allison asked.

"You'll have to ask Cassie. She's the one responsible for their route."

Nathan continued to watch the table thoughtfully. "Well, I guess I know why Carter gets along with them."

Henry looked at him in surprise. Surely he couldn't know about them being related. "Why?"

"Please," Nathan turned back to Allison and Henry, sporting a big smirk. "Maths as favourite subject in high school because the teacher was hot? Eureka's average IQ probably dropped several points since they've arrived. Carter must feel right at home with them."

Henry almost choked at Nathan's smug comment. In fact, he couldn't wait to tell Sam - and the confrontation afterwards. Chuckling to himself, he pulled out his little black notebook and scribbled on a new page _Sam 1 - Nathan 0_.

"Henry?" Allison asked, pointing at his notebook that had just vanished in his overall again. "Got a new idea?"

"Something like that," he smiled and patted his pocket. "And it promises to be a good one."

oxoxo

_A/N: Henry's musings is my take on how Sam could stay incognito. The confident paper angle was introduced in a Stargate Atlantis episode ("Brain Storm") and I'm ignoring her winning prizes in theoretical physics (season 10s "Bounty"), so her work is even more low key/confidential here. Got to tweak it somehow, right? Also, I know there's no Nobel Prize for Mathematics, but the creators of Eureka gave one to Nathan so I'm sticking with it. Anyway keep the reviews coming, please! Though I've kinda know now how Eureka will learn about Sam, any comment is welcome. It might spark another idea (I often had that happen with my other stories)._


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"You're joking!" Zoe stared open-mouthed at Jo. They were in the Sheriff's office and Jo had just told Zoe about lunch at Café Diem.

"Nope." Jo got out her cell phone and showed it to Zoe. "Zane took that picture after the eye candy comment."

Snorting, Zoe took a good look at the picture of one flabbergasted Dr Nathan Stark. "Great. I'm stuck in school while everyone else is having fun. It's just not fair!"

"Sure it is." Jack entered the office and dropped a kiss on the top of his daughter's head. "How was school?"

Zoe waved her hand dismissively. "I'd _so_ have preferred to see Sam telling Stark she loved math because the teacher was hot!" Tapping her chin thoughtfully, she added, "Maybe I should reconsider dropping French at the end of the year."

"That's good. It never hurts to learn another language."

Jo quickly held the folder she pretended to read in front of her face, laughing quietly and waiting for the sheriff to catch on.

"Or ogle the teacher." Zoe said, a dreamy smile playing crossing her features.

"_Zo-e_!"

She laughed out loud. "I so got you on that one, dad!"

"That and the new French teacher _is_ kinda hot," Jo added.

Jack snatched the folder from his deputy. "You are not helping!" Turning back to his daughter he added, "Don't you have any homework?"

Zoe threw her hands up in the air and sighed deeply. "My life sucks."

Jack gave his daughter a one-armed hug. "I've invited Sam and Cassie to beer and pizza tonight."

That lifted Zoe's mood immediately. "Sweet."

"Homework first."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll be at Cafe Diem to drown my sorrow in coffee." Zoe grabbed her bag and headed for the door.

"No coffee."

Zoe groaned and left without turning back.

"So," Jo said once they were alone. "You're spending a lot of time with them."

Jack shrugged his shoulders. "They are family."

"Are you sure?" Jo wanted nothing more than to believe it herself. She really liked the two women. But this was Eureka and everything had to be taken with a grain of salt.

"Yes." Jo and Jack looked up to see Henry walk into the office. "Nathan had me check their background," he added in way of explanation. "Sam really is your third cousin."

Both Jack and Jo sighed in relief. "That's good to hear."

Henry smiled. "Just thought I might tell you - and take the decision of looking into their background out of your hands. And as long as Nathan doesn't ask specifically, I'll forget her surname and relation to you. He only wanted to know if they were genuine, after all."

Jack chuckled as he patted Henry's shoulder. "I appreciated it, thanks, Henry."

* * *

Allison was waiting for her dinner, anxious to collect her son from his friend's house and then go and spend a quiet evening at home. The last few days had been stressful - and Nathan being annoyed ever since lunch earlier that day hadn't helped either - so she was tired. She looked up in surprise when a mug of coffee appeared in front of her.

"You look like you need it," Vincent said, giving her a small smile. "I've got your order up an a few minutes."

"Thanks." Allison returned his smile before taking a long sip from the mug. Closing her eyes, she let the caffeine take its effect and she sighed mentally when some of the tiredness left her body.

"Hey Vincent."

Allison's eyes snapped open when she recognised the voice. One of Carter's new friends, Sam, if she remembered correctly, was standing a few feet away from her, grinning at Vincent. She was wearing leather from top to toe, the dark colour a stark contrast to her skin tone and blonde hair. And, Allison admitted grudgingly, it suited her. She could even see why Carter was so obviously smitten with her.

"Sam, how was your trip?" Vincent looked over to the door and back at Sam. "Where's Cassie? I hope she's alright?"

"She's just down the road, picking up some wine. And the trip was great! Thanks for the recommendation. Not to mention the delicious afternoon snack." Sam patted her stomach appreciatively. "Speaking of delicious, I need some dessert for tonight."

"Pie, jell-o, cupcakes? Or something more special?"

Sam shrugged her shoulders. "Got a dinner invitation from Jack. I'm open for any suggestions."

"Oh, dinner!" Vincent wriggled his eyebrows. "_That's_ nice of him."

Chuckling, Sam rolled her eyes. "We're having pizza. _We_ as in-" Sam was interrupted by her phone and one look at the display had her face lighting up with a brilliant smile. Excusing herself from Vincent, she stood up and made her way to the door. "Jack."

Vincent's eyebrows shot up faster than he could blink. It didn't need a genius to figure out that _that_ was a greeting between lovers. He stared after her for a few seconds before turning back to the present. Shaking his head, he glanced at Allison and sighed. So she had seen it too. It was an open secret that, despite them being almost polar opposites, she liked both Nathan Stark and Jack Carter.

He quickly finished her order and put it in front of her. Patting her hand, he said, "It's just pizza."

Allison smiled tiredly and, taking her food, left for home. Outside she glanced at Sam. She was still smiling, her eyes alight with happiness, and giggling at something Jack said on the other end of her cell. Sighing, Allison got into her car and drove to home.

* * *

"I swear I'll need some new clothes, if we stay here much longer." Sam groaned, leaned back into her chair and rubbed her fully tummy. The next moment her hand shot out and grabbed Cassie's arm. "That doesn't mean you can steal my dessert."

"Nice reflexes," Jack said appreciatively.

Sam grinned. "Nah. I just love my dessert."

"Yeah," Cassie said, barely containing her giggles. "You should see what happens when someone goes after her blue jell-o!"

"Yeah," Jack asked. "What is it with you and blue jell-o?"

"I just like the taste."

Jack tilted his head, scrutinising her face. "It's a man. Isn't it? Boyfriend? _Husband_?"

Cassie broke out laughing while Sam blushed, though she soon giggled as well. "Something like that."

"Ha!" Jack grinned and, just before putting some pie into his mouth, he asked, "So, who's the lucky guy? Do I need to have a word with him?"

Holding her sides, Cassie barely managed to stay on her chair she was laughing so hard. Sam grinned and patted Cassie's back.

Jack raised his eyebrows. "What? What did I say?"

Still grinning, Sam shook her head. "Nothing. It's just ... Jack - yes, his name _is_ Jack - can be a bit overprotective. But he's a good man. In fact, I think you two would get along just fine."

Zoe, who'd watched the whole interaction with a smile on her face, chuckled. "You are dating Jack Carter?"

"Jack, yes. Carter, nope."

Zoe shrugged her shoulders. "That's still enough for a bit of confusion."

"Yeah," Cassie continued seamlessly. "A little chat at Café Diem about Sam and Jack-"

"-should be fun," Zoe finished, high-fiving Cassie as she did so.

Sam suddenly had a deer in headlights look on her face before dropping her head on the table with a loud thud.

"We didn't do anything," Cassie and Zoe said simultaneously while they shook their heads at Jack.

"Jack, _my_ Jack, called me while I waited for our dessert in Cafe Diem earlier - just after I asked Vincent if he could recommend a dessert you'd enjoy. He thought you and I had a date." Sam's voice was muffled, but the words were still clear enough for everyone to understand.

Cassie and Zoe whooped while Jack patted Sam's back. "Ignore them. They're young and don't know what they're doing. We'll just have to come up with something to embarrass them in public."

Sam lifted her head enough to meet Jack's eyes. "I like they way you're thinking!"

Cassie and Zoe looked at each other and shivered almost simultaneously. "That's just so wrong! I mean, no offense, but it's bad enough being the sheriff's daughter. I don't need my dad to actually try and embarrass me on purpose!"

"Well... truce? You two refrain from any suggestive comments out in public and we behave as everyone expects us to."

Cassie crossed her arms in front of her. "Spoilsport."

"Yep." This time it was Sam and Jack who high-fived each other.

* * *

"I could get used to this." Cassie was curled up on the couch, a bowl that had until a few moments ago held handmade - or rather SARAH made - potato chips within easy reach.

"Yeah, Star Wars never gets old," Jack said, finishing his beer with one last swig.

"That's true," Cassie managed to say in between giggles while Sam laughed out loud. "Kinda miss the popcorn hair, though," Sam drawled once she got her laughter under control - and sending Cassie into another fit of giggles.

"Popcorn hair?" Zoe asked, leaning closer in anticipation of a good story.

"I can make popcorn," SARAH offered almost immediately.

"No. But thank you," Jack replied. "Unless any of you want some?"

Sam groaned as she patted her belly. "I'm still stuffed from dinner."

Zoe and Cassie shook their heads as well. They shuffled around until they were facing Sam and Jack rather than the TV. "But I still want to hear about the popcorn hair though!"

"Me too!"

Cassie smirked at Sam. "Movie night."

"And...?"

"Uncle T's turn to chose the movie."

Sam snorted. "He's utterly fascinated by Star Wars, especially by episodes IV to VI."

Jack nodded in agreement. "Understandable. The new ones were all right, but IV to VI are classics!"

"Dad, stop talking. Popcorn hair, remember?"

He grabbed the nearest cushion and threw it at his daughter. "Brat."

"Anyway," Cassie drawled out. "Uncle T chooses one if not all three of them almost every time. And he gets very gross when someone talks during the movie. He just looks at you and glares."

"Don't forget the eyebrow, Cas."

Giggling, Cassie nodded. "Yup. And then he raises _one_ eyebrow. It's great and totally scary if you don't know him. Anyway, movie nights were mostly Sam, Jack, Daniel and T so when mom and I joined occasionally, we noticed the changes. When Star Wars was on, Sam and Daniel were sitting as far away from T as possible - and quietly dissect everything into possible, not likely and impossible. Jack was quiet for the first half an hour or so and then he started fidgeting." Sam started to giggle again and Cassie joined in.

"What? Why? And where's the popcorn!"

"Later. First Uncle T got a yoyo from somewhere and gave it to Uncle Jack."

Sam laughed out loud. "And when he managed to entangle it, T replaced it with a new one."

"Really?" Zoe and her dad asked in unison.

"Yup. Mom and I just looked at each other the first time we saw it and then we started laughing."

"T stopped the movie until they'd calmed down again," Sam added with a fond smile. "Of course, I didn't hurt that Cassie had - and still has - him wrapped around her little finger."

"And that mom congratulated T on such a refined strategy of keeping Uncle Jack busy."

Sam gave Cassie a one-armed hug as they both reminisced over the past. "Anyway, mom and I made popcorn during the break. And because I'm such a nice person, I shared it with everyone," Cassie added after a moment.

Snorting, Sam ruffled Cassie's hair. "Yeah, you threw it at us randomly."

Cassie smiled sweetly. "You still ate it. Besides, Uncle T caught everything I threw at him."

Sam poked out her tongue at Cassie. "And during every Star Wars movie afterwards Jack would take hold of the popcorn bowl and 'distribute' it evenly amongst us."

Zoe's eyes lit up with mischief. "Popcorn hair?"

"Yup."

Jack raised his eyebrows at his daughter. "Don't even _think_ about it. Besides, who do you think will have more trouble getting sticky things out of their hair, me or you?"

"Right." Zoe huffed. "That's a good point."

"My hair was much shorter during the worst of it," Sam said upon receiving a questioning look from Zoe. "Sorry."

"We could have watched another movie, you know?" Jack asked. "That sounded like you've watched it more than just a couple of times."

Sam smiled. "It's okay. It's been a while, to be honest. Besides, it's the company that counts. I really enjoyed myself tonight."

"Even without dissecting why this and that would never work? You know, things breaking several laws of physics and such?" Cassie teased.

Jack plopped down again. He'd just gotten up to get himself another drink when the implications of Cassie's last comments struck. Frowning, he thought back to other times when something had felt off without him being able to put a finger on it.

"Dad?" Zoe put her hand over his and squeezed. "Are you okay?"

Jack shook his head but said, "Yes." Looking up, he caught Sam's eyes and held them. "You're smart."

"Dad?" Zoe asked again.

"Not just average smart. You're like _Henry_-smart! In fact, I think you know each other. Probably even worked together or something. That'd explain why you'd dissect the laws of Physics while watching Star Wars. And that's also why he wasn't concerned when Stark got worried about you being a spy or something. I mean, Henry was on your side right from the beginning!"

Sam could just stare at him in astonishment. She'd thought she'd been careful. Even Cassie's comment on her taking apart the physics behind Star Wars shouldn't have been enough for Jack to come to his conclusions. After all, it was something a lot of people did.

"O-oh."

Everyone looked up at the surprise in SARAH's voice.

"What is it?" Jack asked.

"I have just looked up available information on your cousin, Sheriff Carter."

* * *

_A/N: Sorry for the delay. Turns out I've actually got a life. Odd. Didn't help that She-Muse kidnapped He-Muse for some personal time..._


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"Uh oh." Cassie took Sam's hand and squeezed. She felt like she had let her down by saying too much. "Sorry."

Zoe leaned back and raised her eyebrows. "That _bad_?"

"Naw." Sam shook her head and gave a lopsided smile. "It's nothing special, really."

"You have full access to all areas of Global Dynamics." SARAH's voice was still laced with awe.

"I do?"

"_What_?!" Jack stared at her with wide eyes. Standing up quickly, he started pacing. "Next you tell me you've got a dozen PhDs too!"

"Dr Carter has only one PhD, Sheriff." SARAH explained. "In Theoretical Astrophysics."

Zoe smirked at her cousin. "Wow! So you _did_ like Math in high school, huh?"

"Yep. It didn't hurt that our teacher really was pure eye-candy, though. And knowing the answers to his questions was a great way to catch his attention."

"I'm so going to continue with French next year," Zoe said, sighing deeply. "And excel in it."

Jack groaned before looking up at the ceiling. "SARAH, is there anything else? Like Sam suddenly turning up as the new Director of Global Dynamics or something?"

SARAH didn't answer, though Sam's eyes opened wide in shock. "What? No! I don't need a new job. Besides, I didn't even know this was Global Dynamic's Eureka until-"

Jack narrowed his eyes at her. "Until-?"

Sighing, Sam patted the space next to her, silently asking him to stop pacing and sit down. "Until Henry pointed it out. We've been working together for a short time a few years ago." She chuckled quietly. "I can't even tell you who was more surprised, him or me, when I turned up at his garage to check out Cassie's bike."

"Jack." Cassie, who'd come to sit down on his other side, touched his shoulder slightly. "I swear we weren't lying when we told you how we ended up here. I mean, if I knew this town was Geek-Central, I would probably have avoided coming here at all costs. This trip is about spending time together - uninterrupted by anything work-related."

Cassie words - particularly the tone they were spoken in - told Jack all he needed to know. It didn't hurt either that his gut feeling agreed. They were genuine. Pulling the young woman in a quick one-sided hug, he stage-whispered, "So, Sam's a geek?"

"Oh yeah," Cassie said with conviction. "You've got no idea!"

"Geek-Central, remember?" he pointed out and joined into Cassie's chuckles. And Sam protesting loudly on his other side didn't exactly encourage them to stop either.

Zoe watched the interactions quietly, thinking. Slowly, a smile started to play across her features. It looked like her talent for physics might have come from her dad's side of the family after all. Theoretical astrophysics? That meant Sam was smart. Really smart. "Sam?" she asked, her smile replaced by a small frown. "Aren't you bothered that Dr Stark - and others probably too - thinks you're average now?"

"Yeah," Jack added, "What was that in Café Diem earlier?"

"Fun?" Sam grinned. "And no, I don't care what Dr Stark thinks. To be honest, it's a refreshing change - being considered the dumb blonde and all. And I don't intend on telling him, or anyone else, the truth. I've worked with enough Stark's - even though most of them weren't quite as smart as him - to last me a life time. Besides, I'm here to have some fun - and playing him certainly counts as fun."

"True." Jack grinned at her. "Though telling him eventually could be the icing on the cake."

Sam shook her head at his antics. "We'll see."

"SARAH?" Jack called out.

Once again, there was no reply.

"SARAH!"

"Oh." Jack could have sworn her voice was laced with embarrassment. "I'm sorry, Sheriff. I'm afraid I was caught up in Dr Carter's book on wormhole theory. What can I do for you?"

"Wormhole theory?" Jack stared open-mouthed at his cousin. "You aren't just pretty smart, you're a genius, aren't you?"

Cassie nodded while Sam blushed brightly. "Yup. She is. But she's a nice genius, so we usually let her get away with it."

"Thanks, Cass," Sam said drolly.

Cassie smiled brightly in return. "You're welcome."

"You sure you don't wanna tell Stark?" Jack whined. "His reaction would be awesome to watch!"

Sam shook her head. "Sorry. Uhm, SARAH? Could you, kinda, keep this whole thing to yourself? I mean, Jack and Zoe obviously know - and Henry for that matter - but I'd prefer to keep my background to myself."

"Maybe we could discuss the theories from you book, though?" SARAH asked, once again sounding rather hopeful.

Sam sighed in relief. "That we can do."

Jack rubbed his hands together. "Good. Now that the secrets are out of the bag, how about some ice-cream? Or are you two too tired?"

Cassie snorted. "Too tired for ice-cream? Never!"

Meanwhile, Sam was biting her lower lip and playing with the hem of her shirt. Jack, looking over when she didn't answer his question, stopped short and groaned. "Don't tell me. More secrets."

Sam smiled sheepishly. "Not really."

"Sam."

She locked eyes with him, trying to come to a decision. Sure, she couldn't really tell him what she was doing for a living. Though, and that surprised her seeing how they've basically just met, she wanted to. Eventually, she nodded to herself. "Fancy a little walk?"

"Okay," he said quietly and led her to door.

"What was that about?" Zoe asked after the door closed behind them.

Cassie shrugged her shoulders as she had her first taste of the ice-cream. "Sam isn't just any scientist."

"She's doing classified stuff, I get that. She wouldn't have access to Global Dynamics otherwise," Zoe pointed out.

"True." Cassie casually spooned up more ice-cream. "But Sam's also a Colonel in the United States Air Force."

* * *

Sam and Jack walked along in silence. Jack had grabbed a flashlight for each of them on the way out; after all, stumbling along in darkness wasn't his idea of fun. Sam, he noticed, didn't have much problem with the uneven ground and the dark. She walked confidently - and without making too much noise. And, even though she seemed deep in thought, he was pretty sure she was quite aware of her surroundings as well.

After several minutes of walking they ended up on top of a small hill. Sam stopped, switched off her flashlight and look up at the sky, a slow smile playing along her lips. "It's a great spot for stargazing. There're no obstructions and not much of a light pollution either."

"I don't know much about it, to be honest."

Sam took his arm and, for the next few minutes pointed out several constellations to him. "I always wanted to go to the starts. Become an astronaut, so I could go up and touch them, play with them."

Jack smiled. "Did you?"

Sam shook her head. "My chances became pretty slim after the Challenger exploded. But I never gave up on it and joined the United States Air Force anyway."

"Air Force, huh?" Jack grinned. "I'm more of a U.S. Marshal type myself."

"So you're just posing as Sheriff, huh?"

"I was told it was a promotion," he said with a mock-pout. "Wait. You're still with the Air Force, aren't you?" Sam nodded as Jack continued to think out loud. "You wouldn't just have joined, you probably went to the Air Force Academy. And ... okay, what's your rank?"

"Colonel?" she admitted sheepishly.

"Wow." At first he looked surprised but this was soon replaced by a big grin. "So not only are you as smart as Stark, but you also have an impressive military career behind you? Are you _sure_ you don't wanna gloat at him?"

Sam laughed out loud. "You know, you'd really get along well with my Jack."

"Is he smart too?"

Sam smiled. "Street-smart, just like you."

"I'm not-"

"Yes you are. I spoke to Henry. You've got a great intuition and you notice the little things. You aren't scared to ask question even though you know they might make you look dumb. But you know what? Sometimes we scientists need a so-called dumb question to remember the basics, to not lose sight of the overall picture." Sam took a deep breath. "Teamwork. It saved our lives more than once."

"Your work is highly classified." It wasn't a question but a statement. With her clearance for Global Dynamics, it wasn't exactly rocket science to come to that conclusion. "And dangerous?"

Sam shrugged her shoulders. "Sometimes."

"But it's worth it?" Jack asked.

"Sometimes." This time she smiled.

Jack nodded slowly. "I've been told Eureka has a higher than average mortality rate. Scientists coming to work here know that from the start, but they want to work at Global Dynamics anyway."

Sam nodded again. "Yeah, something like this. As theoretical astrophysicist I need data, lots of it. So we generally set up our equipment and collect said data. But to get the best, most complete picture possible, we need to do so from a lot of different locations. Sometimes ... sometimes those locations aren't exactly accessible to us. So we try to sneak in and get out as quickly as possible. But it's still dangerous."

Jack was silent for a long time, just staring at the star filled sky above them. "Is that how Cassie's mom died?" he asked eventually.

Sam held her breath for a moment before slowly releasing it. "A young airman was injured and needed immediate medical attention. Janet, Cassie's mom, was our doctor. We got to the casualty, but were caught in an ambush. She stabilised the airman before ... before she was shot. She died instantly."

Jack watched her in the darkness. Lifting his hand to her face, he removed a lonely tear from her cheek. "You're blaming yourself for not saving her."

"We were there to protect her." Sam stood up and walked a couple of steps away. "Janet was supposed to have the safe job. Have better working hours than me. That's why she adopted Cassie, so Cassie wouldn't lose another parent."

"Yet you're still alive and Janet's not." Jack had followed her and carefully put an arm around her shoulder. He'd also filed away her comment on being there to protect Janet. He wouldn't be surprised if science wasn't the only thing Sam did in the Air Force. "Life's not fair, you know."

Sam snorted, her eyes dry again. "That's what Cassie tells me every so often. Then we have lots of ice-cream and have a good cry together."

"Sounds sensible to me," Jack said lightly. Squeezing Sam's shoulder, he added, "Thanks for telling me. Not just about Cassie's mom, but about your job. I won't tell anyone else, I promise."

"I-"

"Sam, your job is highly classified, I get it. And I know you told me more than you'd tell most people, though I'm sure it's still within the limits of what you're allowed to say. Of what your job entails, I mean."

Sam hugged him and sighed. "I figured better me than you trying to find out on your own. Like I said, you're very smart in your own way." She chuckled. "I know I'd get away with telling Stark the less detailed version, though."

* * *

It was well past 1am in the morning before they reached the bunker again. It was dark inside with SARAH switching on the lights, the dimmed version, as they walked along.

"Where-?" Sam started but was quickly stopped by Jack pointing towards the couch. Sure enough, both Zoe and Cassie were sprawled across it, two empty ice-cream tubs sitting on the couch table.

Sam checked her watch and blushed. "Sorry," she whispered. "We should really go back to the B&B."

Jack shook his head, already putting a blanket over Cassie. "It's late. You look dead on your feet and she's already out. I'm not letting you drive anywhere." Jack leaned down and stroke his daughter's cheek, waking her and gently nudging her off to bed. "Cassie looks comfy enough and you can have the guest room."

Before Sam could protest, Jack had already told SARAH to switch off the lights again and walked towards the stairs.

"I'm not looking dead on my feet," Sam grumbled, but followed him up the stairs anyway. Damn him, now that he'd mentioned it, she realised that she really was feeling bone tired. Some she could contribute to her still hurting side, though thankfully it was much better today than it had the day before.

Jack chose to simply ignore her mumblings and pointed out the different rooms instead. "Sweet dreams." And a moment later he was gone, leaving Sam alone in the guestroom.

* * *

The door to Café Diem opened and once again Sam and Cassie found themselves in the middle of everyone's attention. Rolling her eyes, Sam scanned the room and when she found who she was looking for, walked over to Jack and Zoe.

"Morning."

Jack grinned and wriggled his eyebrows at Sam. "Sleep well?"

Sam groaned in pleasure. "I want one of those mattresses of yours. Now."

Cassie and Zoe giggled as Vincent dropped his notepad upon hearing that comment. He was still stuttering when he took their order for breakfast. "Give him five minutes and everyone will know Sam spent the night," Zoe whispered to her new friend.

"That's going to be fun," Cassie whispered back.

"And easier than we thought," Zoe finished. Especially as Sam and her dad were still bantering with each other and not paying much attention to them and their scheming. Zoe grinned when she saw Allison Blake ever so often glance over to their table. Seems like she was feeling something for her dad after all. Why else would she look jealous?

* * *

_A/N: Thanks again for all the lovely reviews! They keep my muses happy..._


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"My, my, my," Stark leaned against the counter, eyeing Carter's table to the side. "Now _that_ didn't take long."

"Everyone to their own," Allison said, barely glancing in Sheriff Carter's direction.

"Their IQs certainly seem to match." Stark grabbed his coffee and walked over to Carter and his little band of friends. "Morning, Carter."

"Stark." Jack looked at his watch before leaning back in his chair and grinning at Stark. "It's still early and you need my help already?"

"What?"

"Your coffee's to go and you're clearly looking for the way out." Smiling far too innocently, Sam nodded towards the door. "It's over that way. You turned right when you should have turned left."

"What she said," Jack agreed while Cassie barely contained her giggles. Zoe did a slightly better job, but that might be because she was hiding her grin behind her mug of tea.

"Nathan," Allison stepped up next to him, touching his arm. "We have to go."

"Good morning, Allison." Jack greeted her with a true smile. "We were just pointing Stark in the right direction. He seemed to have gotten lost on the way out."

"Yeah, all those tables can be quite confusing at times," Sam said, her face serious. "And we all know men don't like to ask for directions."

"Hey!" Jack and Stark protested simultaneously amidst the giggles of everyone else. Even Allison had a smile on her face.

Stark crossed his arms in front of him and narrowed his eyes at Jack. "So, it's true then?"

Jack frowned while Sam had a pretty good idea what he was talking about. Mentally rolling her eyes, she linked arms with Jack and rested her head against his shoulder. "If you meant last night, then yes, we've spent a very nice evening together."

Jack coughed in surprise. When had she changed her mind? He thought she didn't want to fuel any rumours of them dating or similar?

"And night," Stark said almost triumphantly.

Sam sighed dreamily. "Yeah. Jack's such a gentleman, you know? Didn't want me to drive home, seeing how exhausted I was after a long and exciting night."

Zoe and Cassie stared at each other, then had another look at Stark and Jack. The mixture of expressions was priceless - Jack looked totally flabbergasted at Sam's change of mind while Stark actually seemed jealous - and they finally gave into their giggles.

Allison, however, turned and left the cafe. Seeing that Jack and Nathan were in the middle of another staring contest, Sam slipped out of her seat and followed Allison. She spotted the other woman leaning against the hood of a car, coffee in hand and appearing to be deep in thought. Sam looked over her shoulder and, sure enough, Stark and Jack were still bickering.

"Hi."

Allison looked up and was surprised to find Carter's newest conquest standing in front of her - looking a bit nervous. Keeping her face as expressionless as possible, Allison nodded in acknowledgement.

"They're still bickering." Sam smiled lopsidedly. "If they were alone they'd probably drop their pants for a more detailed comparison."

Even though she tried to fight it, Allison couldn't prevent the snort from escaping. She'd often wondered herself if _that_ would solve their continuous bickering.

"You know," Sam said thoughtfully. "I don't think we've been properly introduced."

Allison raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Sam chuckled. "Okay, Jack accidentally forgot to introduce me properly. So let me rectify that. I'm Sam. Samantha Carter."

"Carter?" Allison's eyes opened up wide. "Are you...?"

"Related?" Sam nodded. "Yep. We are, third cousins, to be exact. Cassie made it a point to pick our route according to relatives - mostly _unknown_ relatives - of mine." Sam's eyes twinkled with good humour. "I never know where we end up or who we meet along the way. And trust me, some were really creepy. But Jack and Zoe? We kinda hit it off right from the start - as cousins."

Allison tilted her head, watching the blonde woman in front of her closely. She couldn't see any reason not to believe her. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you seemed hurt by Jack's action. And the way he looks at you? Hurting you is the last thing on his mind."

"Really?" Allison cursed herself for the slight waver in her voice. She had meant to sound casual, not relieved or hopeful.

Sam nodded. "But Stark? No offense, but I'm surprised this guy's ego fits through all the doors he must pass each day. This makes playing him far too easy to ignore."

It was spoken with so much conviction that Allison couldn't help but laugh. "I take it you're not going to stop?"

Sam smirked, shaking her head. "I've got to get my kicks somehow."

"Thanks." Allison gave Sam an honest smile.

Sam smiled before nodding towards the cafe. "I'll better go back inside, you know, saving Cassie and Zoe from the giggles..."

Sam opened the door just in time to run into Stark. Thankfully not literally, as she managed to step out of his way at the last moment. "Whoa!" She raised his eyebrows at him. "Did you lose the pissing contest with Jack or something?"

Stark just growled at her before pushing past her out of Café Diem. Chuckling, Sam made her way back to their table.

* * *

Allison threw Nathan Stark yet another glance while he was driving them to Global Dynamics. Even thought it was Saturday, they had several meetings scheduled to go through a few reports that were due on Monday. But, judging by the frown and scowl on his face, his thoughts weren't on that but still in Café Diem.

She had to admit that Sam's revelations had been a surprise at first but now that she thought back on all the times she had come across her, it made sense. Even last night, when she had asked Vincent for the sheriff's favourite dessert, she had said 'we' rather than 'I', implicating Cassie was going to be there as well.

Allison looked back at Stark. He was still scowling and somehow that triggered something deep within her. She fought against it but eventually had to give into the giggles. Within seconds, her giggles turned into full-blown laughter.

"What now?" Nathan asked, his voice laced with irritation.

"Sorry." Allison was still giggling, the picture of Jack and Nathan standing in an all white room, pants around their ankles and bickering about their sizes still fresh in her mind. Once she calmed down, she repeated her apology. "Sorry."

Nathan grumbled something unintelligible before asking, "So, what do you make of Carter and his new friend?"

Carter and Carter? That almost sent her into a new bout of giggles. However, biting the insides of her cheeks seemed to do to trick. "They're kinda cute."

"What?" The car skidded for a second as he stared at her before he got it back under control.

Allison grinned mentally. Sam had been right. Riling Nathan was too easy sometimes. "I said I think they're kinda cute."

Nathan huffed. Then a thought struck his mind and a slow smile started to spread across his face. "Well, I guess she's right down his alley. You know, speaking his language, using simple words they both know and understand."

Allison opened her mouth to answer but stopped short. Because, suddenly she had the strange feeling she had underestimated Samantha Carter in more than one way. But before she could ponder on it, they reached Global Dynamics and her mind quickly went to the imminent meetings.

* * *

"This is great." Cassie was lying on her back, head resting on her folded arms and watching a few clouds drift by lazily.

"I know." Sam was absently chewing on a blade of grass but otherwise mimicking Cassie's position. "That one looks like a DHD."

Cassie snorted. "Nu huh. Nothing work related, remember?"

Sam whined, causing Cassie to giggle. "But it looks like one!"

"Well... I guess I'll let it slide, seeing how you'd never whine at work," Cassie said, trying hard to keep from laughing out loud.

"You-!" Sam quickly turned onto her side and started tickling Cassie. A couple of minutes later had both of them on their backs again, catching their breaths from the impromptu tickle fight. "This is nice."

"Told you so." Cassie sounded as smug as she felt. And they both knew Sam hadn't just meant that day but their whole trip. "And I'm glad my bike broke down where it did."

"Yeah." Sam chuckled. "I'm glad you found Jack and Zoe. I really like them." They had spent most of yesterday together, Jack taking them on a trip in his car. Today, though, he was on duty to give Jo the Sunday off and Cassie and Sam had set out on their own again. Once again, Vincent had suggested the spot and provided them with a tasty lunch.

They small beach they were currently on was hidden enough that it was unlikely others would stumble upon it by chance. Cassie had taken this as an excuse to dare Sam to a round of skinny dipping. Now, refreshed and with a full belly, they were enjoying the warm afternoon sun.

Cassie sighed. "You know, I wouldn't mind staying a bit longer."

Sam turned her head and grinned. "Vincent's pie?"

Cassie groaned. "God, yes! Well, and I kinda like Jack and Zoe too. Besides, Vincent said there are quite a few hidden beauty spots within reach he could recommend."

"Then there's Stark who's so easy to annoy," Sam added with a grin.

"Yes!" Cassie laughed before turning on her side. Her eyes twinkling with mischief, she added, "Can you imagine his reaction if he were to learn you're just as smart as him and have been playing him all that time?"

Sam laughed out loud. "What about the no-work rule on this trip, huh?"

"Well, I might be able to let that one slip through as well."

"That's very generous of you," Sam deadpanned.

"I know." Cassie turned back onto her back and sighed happily. "So? Wanna stay?"

"Take tomorrow off to repair your bike, then go on a few more day trips?" Sam wondered out loud. "I think I could live with that."

"Sweet." Cassie suddenly jumped up and dropped her underwear. "Last one in gets the backseat."

Laughing, Sam shed her own clothes and followed the younger woman at a more sedate pace. She'd been planning on letting Cassie drive them back anyway.

And next time she was bringing her swimsuit.

* * *

Cassie was enjoying the ride home, especially as she was the one doing the driving. Sam would occasionally remind her of the speed limit through their intercom, but that didn't stop the feeling of real happiness spreading across her body as she felt the wind rush past her. This truly was the best holiday she had had since her mom's death.

In the back, Sam was feeling just as good. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen Cassie laugh so often. That alone was worth to go a few weeks without her laptop. What really surprised her, though, was the fact that after the first couple of days she hadn't even missed it. Jack, of course, had quickly picked up on that fact and had mercilessly teased her about it. Sam just knew she'd have a much harder time to bring her work to their short breaks at his cabin in Minnesota from now on.

Sighing, Sam closed her eyes and just felt the freedom.

It didn't last long, though. After a few minutes, her phone, which was connected to her helmet's sound system, was ringing. And not just any tone but the one that screamed work. In fact, it was the special one that screamed General O'Neill.

With dread starting to settle in the pit of her stomach, she answered, "Sir."

"Carter."

The tone said it all. Sam switched to her and Cassie's intercom and asked her to stop. She was off the bike and walking away as soon as Cassie pulled over.

"Sir." She could hear Jack sigh on the other end. Then he told her what was going on. "Crap."

"Yeah," Jack agreed whole-heartedly. "The USS Odyssey has a lock on you now."

"Five minutes. I need five minutes," Sam replied as she looked over to where Cassie was randomly kicking small pebbles.

"Cassie." There was a couple of seconds of silence as neither wanted to speak. "Take care, Carter."

"I will." She ended the call and slowly made her way over to Cassie.

"You have to go." Cassie whispered.

Sam pulled the younger woman into a hug. "Yes. I ... Teal'c's in trouble. His son and a couple of SG teams too. We're their best chance."

Cassie nodded against Sam's shoulder. "Bring him back."

"Are you okay?"

Cassie snorted, her tear-filled eyes locking onto Sam's. Yeah, Sam thought so too. Wiping the tears from her face, she said, "Two weeks are still a record, you know?"

Sam smiled. "Yeah. And I have every intention to finish what we've started, okay?"

"Okay." Cassie took Sam's helmet before pulling her into another hug. "Just-"

"I know." Sam kissed her forehead before dialling a number on her cell phone. "I'm ready whenever you are."

They were standing close to each other, though not touching, both hoping this wouldn't be the last time they saw each other.

And then Sam was gone.

* * *

_A/N: Thanks for the reviews! I was quite surprised by Sam approaching Allison, but there you go..._


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Cassie stowed Sam's helmet and got back on the motorcycle. A moment later she dismounted again and sat down on the grassy patch beside the road. She wasn't sure she would make it back to Eureka safely if she drove right now. Hugging her knees to her chest, she watched the non-existent traffic for quite some time.

"Right," she said to herself. "Get a grip. It's time to go back."

She cleaned up her face, making sure to remove any signs of tears, before getting back on the bike. This time she actually started it and headed back to Eureka.

* * *

"What do we know?" Sam, still clad in her bike outfit, asked as soon as she entered a small conference on board the Odyssey.

"Muscle's in a bit of a tight spot," Vala said. "We go in, play a round of hide and seek and bring everyone back home just in time for my shopping trip with Daniel."

Daniel rolled his eyes at Vala. "Ignoring the last part, that's pretty much it."

"Teal'c contacted us just after you left, telling us about a training exercise for some of the younger Jaffa of the Free Jaffa Nation, asking if we wanted to send some new recruits along. General Landry thought it would be good for SG-21 and 22," Cameron Mitchell said.

Sam frowned, trying to remember the details. "SG-21 and 22, they recently had to replace two members each, right?"

"Yeah. General Laundry thought it might be a good team building exercise." Mitchell waited until Daniel pulled up some schematics on the big screen before continuing, "Anyway, this is the current situation as we know it."

Teal'c together with his son Rya'c, five other young Jaffa and the two SG-teams had been captured on the planet they'd gone to for the exercise. Only Captain Morris from SG-21 and a young Jaffa, Mord'ac, had escaped capture by pure luck, even if neither of them felt happy about it. However, they had managed to see the address the others had been taken to. After taking out the three guards that had been left behind by the Lucian Alliance, they had split up, Captain Morris coming back to the SGC while Mord'ac went back to the planet they had set out from to report to his own people.

Sam listened to the intel they had been able to gather, already forming a plan in her head with the information given. A plan, she soon realised, that was only slightly different from what her team, the leaders of SG-3 and SG-13 and the leaders of the Jaffa had come up with already. The Jaffa had been able to establish that their missing men were indeed on the planet they had been taken to and it seemed unlikely they'd be moved in the near future.

They were in the middle of finalising their plans when they received a message from General Laundry.

The Lucian Alliance had just contacted the SGC and the Free Jaffa Nation with an unacceptable ransom request.

* * *

Jack Carter sighed. He had just checked on one of the scientist working outside of Global Dynamics and, after almost an hour long discussion, had convinced him to stick to the rules. This had been a particularly sensitive issue, seeing how he was living close to the electromagnetic field around Eureka and non-compliance with the rules, under certain circumstances, could bring unwanted attention to the town.

A glance at his watch told him it was close to 5pm and another movie night at his home. As it had turned out Cassie and Zoe had the same taste in movies and were easily outvoting him. He didn't mind too much though, seeing how it left him with more time to annoy them. And that was something he was getting pretty good at.

Jack chuckled as he remembered Sam's good-natured exasperation at their antics. Last night, she had opted to talk with SARAH - who had proudly explained her inner workings to Sam - rather than watch the movie with them. Whenever they had become too loud, though, Sam had thrown random things, always managing to hit one of them. That had kept them quiet for a few minutes before they had started to bicker again. All in all it had been a very entertaining night, despite the two chick-flicks he had to endure.

He still chuckled when something in his rear-view mirror caught his eyes.

Someone was behind him and whoever it was, was gaining fast. A quick look at his speedometer told him that his own speed was correct, so the biker was indeed speeding. Jack switched on his emergency lights and slowed down. It looked like it was time to write another speeding ticket. Keeping an eye on the biker, Jack slowed down further - and almost braked too hard when he recognised the motorcycle.

It was Sam's Indian. Only there was just one person on the bike.

"Everything okay?" He asked as soon as he got out of the car. He watched the driver take the helmet off and sighed. "Cassie? Where's Sam?"

Cassie shrugged her shoulders.

It didn't take a genius to see how unhappy she was. He put his hand on shoulder, squeezing slightly. "Is Sam alright?"

Cassie shrugged again. "Work."

Jack tilted his head, scrutinising Cassie's face for quite some time. "You're worried. It's dangerous, isn't it?"

Sam had told her how much Jack knew about her job, so Cassie nodded, knowing he'd understand. "I guess."

He pulled her into a quick hug. "I'm sure she'll be fine."

"Or I'm going to kick some ass," Cassie added darkly.

"I'll help. And Jo is pretty awesome at kicking ass too." Jack squeezed her shoulder again.

Cassie smiled for the first time since Sam had left. "Thanks."

"So, are you going to stick around? Or are you heading home?"

Cassie had thought about this already and had pretty quickly come to a decision. Home, until she moved to a new university to start her PhD program, was Colorado Springs but everyone she really cared about was currently out looking for Teal'c. She could always fly to Washington to visit her Uncle Jack, but he probably wasn't going to leave his office until Sam and everyone else was back safe and sound. Her friends from school were currently spread all over the place, enjoying their own summer holidays, so that wasn't an option either.

But here in Eureka she'd at least have some company. Family even, as Zoe was telling her every day. So the final decision was an easy one.

"I'd love to stick around." Cassie smiled ruefully. "Sam and I had decided on staying a bit longer anyway."

"Really?"

Cassie snorted. "Don't look so smug, mister! We simply can't get enough of Vincent's cooking."

"Ouch." Jack held his hand over his heart. "That hurt." He smiled as Cassie giggled. Mission accomplished. "I'm probably going to regret this, but you're welcome to stay in our guest room, you know?"

"You mean distract myself by plotting with Zoe to turn your hair grey?" Cassie asked seriously.

"Yes!" His brain catching up with Cassie question, he quickly shook his head. "_No_!"

Smiling broadly, Cassie nodded. "Deal!"

Jack sighed. "I'm going to regret this, aren't I?"

"Yup." Becoming serious again, she leaned close and kissed his cheek. "Thanks."

Jack just smiled. "One condition, though. Well, two, actually." Cassie cocked an eyebrow. "One, you're driving back into town behind me. No more speeding, okay?"

Cassie nodded, blushing when she realised just why she'd been stopped in the first place. She simply hadn't paid too much attention to her speedometer. "Sorry about that."

"First one's free, next time you'll pay. _And_ I'll tell Sam."

Cassie winced. "Okay. And the second condition?"

"Stark."

This time Cassie laughed out loud. She knew exactly what he meant with this. And playing with Stark would surely keep her mind off Sam's and Teal'c's situation. "Deal."

* * *

"Hungry?" Stark raised an eyebrow, nodding at the two large food containers Vincent had just put in front of Jack.

Jack smirked. "_Jealous_?"

Nathan Stark snorted. "Of whom? _You_? Get real, Carter."

"Well, _I'm_ the one having dinner with a couple of lovely ladies tonight."

"He's got a point," Zane commented from Jack's other side, looking rather pleased with himself.

Stark rolled his eyes. "You're just sucking up so you can get a test-ride on the Indian."

Undisturbed, Zane shrugged his shoulders. "If it works. Besides, I happen to like Sam and Cassie just fine. They've got a great sense of humour. And now I'm getting dessert to share with a lovely lady of my own."

"Have fun." Jack grabbed his food and turned to leave. After a couple of steps, he looked over his shoulder back at Stark. Knowing Allison was spending quality time with her son, he couldn't help but say, "Sucks to be the odd one out, doesn't it?"

* * *

Zoe had taken it upon herself to distract Cassie. She had been surprised to find the young woman come back with her dad, luggage in hand. After she'd heard the story, though, she had dragged Cassie to her room to get all the details of her day. After all, she knew where they had gone and she wanted to know if they'd taken up her dare to go skinny dipping.

By the time Jack Carter had returned with their dinner, Cassie's mood had lifted considerably. She had always known that there was a small chance of Sam having to leave their trip early. Just as she knew that Sam could take care of herself - and that she would be careful.

"I'm stuffed," Zoe announced, pushing her empty plate away from her.

Cassie followed her example. "Me too. Vincent is a fantastic cook." Remembering where she was, Cassie quickly added, "Which reminds me, SARAH?"

"Yes?"

"Now that I'm staying for a bit longer, do you think we could have your lasagne again? It was delicious!"

"Of course, Cassie! It would be my pleasure."

Jack rolled his eyes, mouthing 'smooth, very smooth' to Cassie who did a mock bow in return.

Jack's answer was cut short by his mobile ringing. "Carter."

There was a short break before a male voice answered, "You know, that's kinda creepy."

"Huh?" Jack checked the caller-ID - the display was still stubbornly showing 'unknown' - before putting the phone back to his ear. "Who's this?"

"Jack."

"That's my name, I know. But who are you?"

This time there was a chuckle. "Jack."

"Jack?" Carter repeated rather dumbfounded.

By now Cassie had caught on and grinned. "_Uncle_ Jack?" she called loudly.

"Yep." Hearing that, Jack Carter put him on speaker phone. "So you're Sam's Jack."

"Yep, that's me."

Cassie nudged Zoe who rolled her eyes before greeting him as well. "Hi."

"Zoe, right?"

"Uh, yeah?"

"Sweet." Cassie smiled at the grin she could hear in his voice. Especially as it meant Sam was safe. For now. "Just who I wanted to talk to."

Zoe frowned at the phone. "Then why did you call my dad?"

"Because I wanted to talk to him too."

"Uncle Jack," Cassie said, dragging his name out just a tad more than necessary. "I don't need babysitters. I'm all grown up now, remember?"

"I wasn't-"

"Uh huh." Cassie interrupted him knowingly.

There was a sigh, then he asked, "You're pulling your mom's _'don't mess with me or else'_ face, aren't you?"

"Ya sure ya betcha!" Cassie stayed straight-faced for a couple of seconds before breaking out into giggles.

Jack O'Neill sighed theatrically but before he could say anything else, there was a buzzing sound in the background and what Cassie and the Carters assumed to be his secretary. The interchange was short but it still left the Carters gape at the phone.

"Sorry." Jack O'Neill was suddenly back. "But I've got to go in a minute."

"Yeah, about that. _General_? _Really_?" Jack asked pretty much in awe.

"Yeah, well. Trust me, I ask myself that every day. _And_ I'm still waiting for someone to jump out and shout 'April fools'!"

Cassie grinned at the Carters. "You'd think he was promoted only yesterday when he was promoted to General a few _years_ ago."

"I blame my knees," he replied flippantly. More serious, he added, "I've got to go, Cass. Don't do what I wouldn't do, okay?"

Cassie giggled. "Sweet."

"Okay, scratch that. Don't do what Sheriff Carter wouldn't do."

Now it was Zoe's turn to giggle. Ignoring her dad's protests, she said, "You do know that trouble seems to follow him everywhere, right?"

This time, both Jacks groaned, although for different reasons. "I'm not that bad!" Zoe's dad protested.

"You're a Carter."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Zoe and Jack said simultaneously. Cassie was laughing so hard, she had to hold onto the table to prevent her from sliding off her chair.

There was a chuckle on the other side of the phone, quickly followed by another buzzing sound. Jack sobered immediately. "Sorry. I really have to go. Just ... just take care, okay?"

The phone went dead before Cassie could answer.

"Wow. That was interesting." Zoe was the first to speak. "Wait. Does that mean trouble is following Sam too? Is she in trouble _now_?"

Cassie shrugged her shoulders. "Sam is good at what she's doing. Really good. Mom... my mom once said she thought _'trouble'_ was only following them around because it knew Sam - and Jack for that matter - would put it out of its misery."

"I guess that kinda works for dad too." Then she smiled. "So your Uncle Jack _was_ right! Getting in and out of trouble is a Carter thing!"

Jack hid his face in behind his hands and shook his head in misery. "Can someone shoot me, please?"

Cassie and Zoe shared a look, and then said in perfect unison, "Where'd be the fun in that?"

Jack sighed and, before either of them could react, ruffled Cassie's and Zoe's hair. Smirking at their protests, he said, "You brought that onto yourselves." Then he put his hand over Cassie's. "Are you okay?"

She frowned, then, when she realised that she was, Cassie smiled. "Yes. Yes, I am."

* * *

_A/N: Uhm. Right. Late again. Sorry? Of course, it wasn't my fault. It never is :P. This time I went on holiday and my muses must have sneaked out the night before I left - and I didn't notice until I was away. Sneaky little bugger, them muses... But, for once, I have most of next chapter written already. Just need to update my other story first ;). Thanks for reading!_


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

The small room designated for SG-1's use was eerily quiet. Even Vala had given up on lifting the mood for the moment.

"We are dropping out of hyperspace in five minutes."

"Finally!" Vala called out, expressing the others' thoughts as well, though for different reasons. "Any longer and I'd have died of boredom!"

Sam and Daniel rolled their eyes but smiled nevertheless. Cameron smirked openly. "Should have brought something to read. I did."

"Sorry, Cam. But I'm just not into your picture books."

Their gear secured, they made their way to the bridge to see if they needed to make last minute changes to their plan.

"Comics, Vala. Comics! Classic ones, too!"

Vala shrugged her shoulders and grinned. "They've got lots of pictures and that makes them picture books. Ask Daniel!"

"Oh no," Daniel shook his head as he picked up his speed. "You're not dragging me into this again."

After glimpsing the small smile on Sam's face, Vala and Cam high-fived each other. Some of the tension caused by worrying about Teal'c was gone from their team.

Mission accomplished.

Now they were ready to start the much more important one.

OXOXO

After dropping Zoe off at school the next morning, Cassie made her way to Henry's garage. The replacement parts for her Honda were supposed to arrive today and she was looking forward to tinkering around a bit. Luckily, Henry was working outside when she arrived.

"Morning, Henry." Cassie parked out of the way and walked over to him. "Any chance the replacement parts are here yet?"

"Cassie, hey." Henry pulled an old rag from his overalls and wiped the grease off his hands. "They have, but I didn't get a chance to replace them."

"I kinda hoped you'd let me do it," Cassie asked hopefully.

Henry frowned. "Where's Sam? I haven't seen her since yesterday. Or have heard Nathan complain about her, for that matter."

Cassie chuckled. "His ego is an easy target, isn't it?"

"That it is." Henry smiled and walked over to the Honda. "Sam?"

Sighing, Cassie shrugged her shoulders. "There was an emergency and she had to get back to work. She was picked up on our way back yesterday afternoon."

Henry tilted his head for a moment before motioning Cassie to follow him. He picked up a package from just inside his workshop and handed it over. "Here. Do you know what you're doing?"

She smiled sheepishly. "I hope so?"

Henry chuckled and led her to the Honda. "Just ask if you have any questions. And we'll go over it together once you're done, okay?"

"Thanks!"

OXOXO

"Ready to crash the party?" Cameron asked the room in general.

SG-3 and a group of Jaffa had already been transported to the planet's surface. Now it was their turn and SG-13 would follow shortly after them. Two of the Jaffa Free Nation's motherships were about half a day away and they would provide an important distraction once they arrived.

Vala grinned, stroking her P-90 fondly. "Let's party! Daniel, don't forget to save a dance for me."

Daniel sighed theatrically but strengthened the grip on his own P-90. Sam patted his arm, fighting to keep a straight face.

"Ten seconds till we reach your drop-off point."

They subconsciously went into battle formation and waited for the tell-tale sensation of being transported.

OXOXO

Two hours after she had started Cassie was deeply immersed into changing the necessary parts on her motorcycle. She'd thankfully accepted an old overall from Henry and added a few new smutches of grease already. Her hands and cheek weren't faring much better either.

"How's it going?" Henry asked, amusement clear on his face.

"It's fighting back but I'm winning!" Cassie looked up and grinned. "How about yourself?"

He sighed and removed the 'Mechanic' patch from his overall. He pulled out a new one from the depth of his overall, but didn't put it on just yet. "I've got an emergency around town."

"I'll be fine on my own," she said before adding casually. "Just tell me where not to go, what not to touch and I'll be fine."

"Uh... What do you mean?"

Cassie rolled her eyes. "You worked with Sam at Area 51 and I happen to know what her job entails. So there's no way you're just a mechanic and with this being secret geek-central, I figure you do more than repairing cars in that workshop of yours."

He was still thinking about it when he was interrupted by his phone ringing. He stepped away to answer it and when he came back, he'd made up his mind. "Alright, I really have to leave. Bathroom is to the side but I'm afraid everything else is off-limits for now. If you need more tools, you'll have to call me."

"I will." Cassie gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks for your trust."

Henry gave a quick nod before jumping into his truck and driving off.

Cassie sighed and turned back to her disassembled Honda. "Looks like it's just the two of us now."

OXOXO

Vala leaned into Daniel and said, "I'm bored of walking."

He pinched to bridge of his nose. He might be too, but that didn't mean he was going to tell her that. "It was either that or risking being detected while transporting down."

"But did it have to be _that_ far away?"

Sam turned around for a moment and looked innocently at Vala. "I can give you the detailed scientific explanation behind this?"

"You're evil!"

Sam was already looking forward again so Vala couldn't see her smirk. Then again, it wasn't necessary as it was clear enough in her voice too. "I know."

OXOXO

Cassie looked at the mess in front of her. She had taken the faulty parts out just as Jo arrived with a packed lunch from Café Diem.

"What a mess."

"I know." Cassie grinned at Jo. "It's great."

Jo snorted and held up the food for Cassie to see. "Sheriff Carter was busy and asked me to bring you this."

"Thanks. I'm starving!" Cassie wiped her hands on her overall and reached out for the box in Jo's hand.

Smirking, Jo shook her head. "Bathroom's that way."

Cassie rolled her eyes but followed Jo's orders. Once she was out of sight, Jo pulled out her cell phone and punched in a number. "The area around the Honda is a mess but I don't think Cassie even thought of snooping around."

"Thanks. That's what I thought. It's just that I have some sensitive experiments in my workshop. I don't want Cassie to accidentally hurt herself."

By the time Cassie came back, Jo had already made herself comfortable on a bench to the side, soaking up the sun. "Hope you don't mind me joining you."

"Another order from Jack?" Cassie asked, eyebrows raised in amusement.

Jo just shrugged her shoulders and smiled. "I also happen to like you. Besides, Zoe mentioned skinny dipping and I want to know all about that. Maybe I can convince Zane to a nice trip out of town, you know?"

Giggling, Cassie agreed. And decided that with the way people cared about her, Eureka really started to feel like a second home to her.

OXOXO

"We just had to find the only swamp on this god-forsaken planet," Cameron crumbled as he made his way through the mud.

"I'm still grateful we haven't come across anything mosquito-like," Sam whispered back.

"Think positive, huh?" Daniel asked from behind her. They'd been walking for several hours now, coming ever closer to their destination. Thankfully, they hadn't come across anyone yet, but the closer they got, the less frequent their short conversations became.

"Muscles better be alive when we get there," Vala grumbled. "I'm not ruining my new shoes for nothing."

"I'd be happy enough if our place for the night is dry," Cameron replied.

Sam and Vala cringed. Leaning closer to Sam, Vala whispered, "Shopping with his credit card if he just jinxed it."

"Deal."

OXOXO

Over the course of the afternoon, Henry had come and gone. However, he'd taken a quick look at what Cassie had done so far and had nodded in approval. He might have been finished with the job already, but apart from being slow, Cassie was doing a fine job herself - and he had told her so. She had grinned at that and then had gone back to work with renewed vigour.

Currently she was deep in thought, not even noticing the car stopping close to her. She did, however, hear the doors open and being thrown shut, though she didn't bother to check who it was. Instead, with her eyes narrowed and the tip of her tongue poking out between her teeth, she concentrated on a particularly fiddly bit of her work.

"What are you _doing_ here?"

Cassie swore loudly as she dropped the screw she'd been trying to fasten. She turned around, forgetting about her hand still being buried within the inner workings of her bike. She swore again, even more colourful this time, as she cut her hand on a sharp edge.

"I'm making cookies!" she growled at Stark, who was standing a few feet away with his arms crossed in front of his chest. She gave him a final glare before concentrating on the dull pain in her left hand. She'd instinctively put her other hand on top of it, putting pressure on it, but now she was ready to take a closer look. And, she thought, it was just her luck that the hand came back bloody.

"Let me have a look," Allison said, holding out her hand to Cassie but waiting for her to cross the final distance between them.

Cassie glared at Stark again, stubbornly keeping her hand out of Allison's reach. She knew it was childish, but her hand _did_ hurt now and it was Stark's fault and Dr Blake was with him.

Allison sighed. "Cassie, you're dripping blood onto the ground."

She looked down and scowled. "It's just a few drops. I'm hardly going to bleed to death anytime soon."

"No, but your hands are greasy, wherever you cut your hand was dirty and the longer you wait to get it treated, the more dirt will get into the wound," Allison explained patiently.

Cassie huffed, the scowl on her face deepening, and held out her hand to Allison. "You just had to be reasonable."

Allison smiled as she took Cassie's hand to have a closer look. "So, making cookies?"

Cassie grinned. "Dumb question and all that."

Allison smirked and pulled Cassie over to a bench all the while she turned and asked Nathan to bring her the first aid kit from the car. He grumbled, but complied.

"Where's Sam? I haven't seen her for a while," Allison asked while she carefully cleaned the cut.

"Something came up at work and she had to go back," Cassie replied as she watched Allison work quickly and efficiently. "You've done that before. Often, I mean."

"I spent endless hours in the ER during my medical training." Having finished cleaning the area around the cut, Allison probed it again. It started bleeding again and she pressed a clean gauze pad on it.

"Nu huh." Cassie shook her head and glared at Allison.

Allison looked up in surprise. "What?"

"You've got that _'I'm thinking stitches'_ look about you."

Stark snorted in the background.

Cassie turned to him immediately and gave him a death-glare. "You better be quiet, _Mister_. This is all your fault anyway! And," Cassie continued less hostile, "Butterfly bandages will do just fine."

Allison smiled in amusement, the shock on Nathan's face too funny to ignore. Then she nodded, "Okay. Let's try that first. You seem to know a lot about first aid."

Cassie shrugged her shoulders. "Mom was a doctor, often patching up friends and family too. And she made sure I was very proficient in first aid before she even allowed me to start driving lessons."

Allison looked up at the underlying sadness in Cassie's voice. "Was?"

"She died a few years ago." Cassie answered before developing a strong interest in a small bird that was busily preening itself a few feet away.

Allison squeezed Cassie's leg for a second before putting the last butterfly bandage on. Not sooner than she had finished another car pulled over into the lot of the garage.

"What's going on?" Jack Carter asked as he took a quick look around. Seeing the first aid kit next to Allison, he rushed over to her and Cassie. "Cassie?"

She looked up and pointed accusingly at Stark. "It's his fault."

Stark rolled his eyes. "It's just a cut."

Cassie stood up and walked over to him. Mimicking his position, arms crossed in front of her, she said, "Just a cut? Ha! I barely sweet-talked myself out of getting stitches, _Mister_! And I don't mix well with sharp pointy things like needles!"

Allison rolled her eyes and closed her first aid kit. Seeing Carter's concern, she briefly touched his arm. "She's fine as long as she keeps the cut dry and clean for the next few days."

Cassie turned briefly, giving Allison a brilliant smile. "Thanks, Dr Blake." Then she focused on Stark again. "Guess you'll have to clean up the tools."

"What?"

"You've heard Dr Blake. I've got to keep the cut dirt-free." She waved her freshly bandaged hand in front of his face. Smiling innocently, she added, "And I can't expect Henry to clean up after me. Since this was entirely your fault..."

OXOXO

_A/N: There you go. I'm trying to keep the little SG-1 titbits to a minimum, but figured they are a nice way to keep us up to date on what Sam is up to. Fear not, though, this will only last for another chapter and then we're back to Eureka fulltime. I'm still hoping for more writing time, though I can't promise updates will become more frequent again (I really, really, hope this will happen though - I wanna know what's going to happen!). Anyway, thanks for your patience and all your reviews!_


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"Damn," Vala swore quietly, disappointedly. They'd reached their hiding place for the night and it was indeed dry. Sam leaned closer and whispered, "We'll find another way to get to Cam's credit card."

Vala's mood lifted immediately. "I like the deviousness of your thoughts. My, my - that must have been some vacation!"

Sam blushed slightly, though it was too dark for Vala to see. "I blame Cassie." Then she grinned. "And I can't wait to get back."

oooooo

"I still can't believe you made Stark clean up." Jack shook his head while he put their dinner plates away.

"And I can't believe you didn't take any pictures!" Zoe added. "It's not like you were busy or something."

Cassie had told her the story as soon as she'd entered the house. In the end, she had ended up helping Stark, albeit one-handed, seeing how her uninjured hand was still greasy anyway. During all of this she had kept an easy conversation going with Jack, telling him about her day and at the same time easing Allison's - and Stark's - concerns of her having seen or touched anything she shouldn't have.

Remembering this, Jack tilted his head and narrowed his eyes at Cassie. "You've done it on purpose."

"Done what?" Cassie asked innocently, though she had a pretty good idea what he had meant.

"Yeah, what has she done?" Zoe echoed almost immediately.

Jack rolled his eyes but complied with his daughter's request for answers. "Answering Allison's and Starks' unasked questions. They must have been worried about Cassie being alone around Henry's garage all day but by telling me about her day in detail, Cassie gave them the answers they were looking for." He grinned and pointed a finger at Cassie. "Stark might disagree but I think you knew exactly what you were doing!"

"Yup." Cassie looked rather pleased with herself. "Outsmarting Stark is always fun. Especially if he doesn't notice it."

Jack shook his head in amusement. "Movie, anyone?"

Zoe groaned. "Homework. But you two just go ahead, enjoy the evening while I slave away."

Cassie patted her friend's back. "Poor Zoe. Maybe I can help?"

"Advanced physics?"

Cassie cringed. "And that would be a huge, fat no. That's more Sam's area of expertise, sorry."

Jack held up his hands and shook his head. "Don't look at me. I can provide snacks and drinks, but that's about as helpful as I can get."

"Uh," Cassie bit her lower lip and looked from Jack to Zoe and back. "I was wondering if you might have a spare laptop lying around that I could use? I mean, with Sam gone for the moment, I figured I might just as well do something useful."

"Sure," Zoe replied. "You can use dad's. I think most of the times he forgets that he has one."

"Hey!"

Zoe smirked. "And where is it?"

"Ah ... in the living room?"

"Nice try. But it's not." Zoe grinned at Cassie and pulled her towards the stairs. "Come on, I'll show you."

Jack sighed. "SARAH?"

"Yes, Sheriff Carter?"

"Do you know where my laptop is?"

"Of course I do. Zoe borrowed it for a project last week. It is still in her room."

Jack sighed, then shrugged his shoulders. After all, Zoe had been right. He never really used the laptop that had been provided as part of his job. He did most of his paperwork in the office and if he needed something at home, he usually asked SARAH for help.

He poured two glasses of juice, grabbed two small packs of chips and made his way up the stairs. Like he had said earlier, providing snacks and drinks was as helpful as he could get when it came to most of his daughter's homework.

oooooo

The night was quiet but that didn't mean the members of SG-1 were sleeping peacefully. There was too much at stage and even those who weren't on watch duty were sleeping only lightly. As soon as it started to get light enough to see where they were going, they were up and about again.

They next few hours were spent walking once again. They still had to cover some distance and the earlier they arrived, the more time they had to rest before their attack started.

"Joy."

"Yeah," Sam whispered, agreeing with Daniel's assessment. Joy indeed. They'd reach their position and it didn't take a genius to see more of their enemies roaming about than their intel had suggested.

"And you're surprised, why?" Cam asked quietly.

Sam looked at Vala, raised an eyebrow and grinned evilly. "Credit card," she whispered and Vala nodded, her grin easily matching Sam's in evilness.

Daniel rolled his eyes but didn't comment and the next hour was spent in total but comfortable silence.

oooooo

Cassie entered Café Diem and headed straight for the counter. "Hit me with whatever you've got!"

"Cassie! How's your hand?" Vincent wiped his hands on his apron and looked at the bandage.

"How?" she asked, then rolled her eyes and answered the question herself. "Small town and all that. And my hand's fine, thanks."

Vincent looked around his customers before he leaned closer and whispered, "Did you really make Dr Stark clean up your dirty tools?"

Cassie mimicked his position and motioned him closer with her finger. Once they were almost touching, she said a bit louder than normal, "Yep."

Vincent jumped a little, causing Cassie to giggle, her eyes shining with mischief. "It was his fault, after all."

Zane plopped down in the bar stool next to her. "But where are the pictures?"

Cassie slowly raised her hand before tapping her finger against her temple. "In here."

"That's no good for any of use." Zane sighed and accepted his coffee from Vincent.

"You'll just have to use your imagination."

"Next time, take some pictures!" Zane ordered before grinning at her. "Or at least wait till I'm around before egging him on again."

Cassie snorted as she shook her head. "Well, if you guys are looking at me to provide the entertainment, the least you can do is feed me."

Zane raised his eyebrows, then locked eyes with Vincent. "Okay, breakfast's on us."

oooooo

Henry walked past Cassie's bike for the fifth time this day. And, just like the other four times, he chuckled. Between Jack's phone call last night and Cassie's visit this morning, he had a pretty good idea of what had happened the day before. He really wished he had been there to watch none other than Dr Nathan Stark pick up the greasy tools.

Then again, Cassie had done a pretty good job of describing just what exactly had happened. They'd both laughed at her spot on imitation of Stark's indignant look. Meanwhile Henry had checked over her bike and hadn't found any fault with what she'd done so far. He'd also offered to finish the work for her but Cassie had just shrugged her shoulders. There was no rush. Sam would be gone for a few more days at least and Cassie was perfectly fine with driving her Indian.

It was most likely one of the view chances she'd get to do so.

Shaking his head once more, he gave the Honda a final look before he headed for his truck and Global Dynamics.

oooooo

"Sam! Carter!"

The words were spoken in a fevered whisper and, fighting her way back into consciousness, she answered. Though, even to her, it sounded more like a groan than anything else.

A hand appeared over her mouth almost immediately. "Shh."

Sam nodded while taking stock. Her eyes were still stubbornly closed, but her head wasn't feeling all that bad. Arms and legs seemed to be okay too. She took a deep, relieved breath - and winced. The ribs on her left side apparently weren't as happy as the rest of her body. Taking another, more careful, breath she finally managed to open her eyes and found herself looking straight into Cam Mitchell's face.

She couldn't help it, but her eyes went straight to his hands. Reading her thoughts, he chuckled quietly and showed them to her. "There's no need for my amazing stitching skills today." Pressing his fingers to his lips, he moved to the side and carefully peeked out of their hiding place. He returned only seconds later. "Everything's still going according to plan. Sort of anyway. We've still got a few minutes until we have to move."

He helped her in a sitting position and nodded to himself when Sam winced at the movement but didn't show any signs of passing out again. "Nice shot. You've got the Jaffa before he could shoot anyone. Well, anyone but you."

She rolled her eyes but accepted the painkillers he handed her. Then she carefully probed the area where she'd been hit. "Thanks."

Cam bit his lower lip before moving his hands to the front of her vest. "Sorry."

Sam nodded and closed her eyes, letting Mitchell do what he needed to do. "Need to make sure it didn't get through the insert."

"Looks good," he said after a couple of minutes. "Let's wrap your ribs and you're as good as new."

Sam opened her eyes and raised her eyebrows. "Then we've got a party to go back to?"

He nodded and after a few more minutes he fastened her vest again. "Ready to kick some ass?"

She smiled wryly. "As long as you do the kicking and I get to play with the explosives?"

"Deal."

oooooo

Nathan snorted when he entered Cafe Diem later that afternoon. The door hadn't even closed behind him before almost all heads turned towards him and the air filled with excited whispers. He ignored them and went to the bar, ordering dinner for Allison and him. She had to collect her son from his friend's later on but had agreed to join him for a quick dinner.

"Nathan."

"Henry."

The older man grinned and looked at Nathan's hands pointedly. "Nice and clean again, I see."

Nathan rolled his eyes. "Funny."

Henry chuckled and took a sip of the beer that had appeared in front of him. "You've got to admit though, Cassie's feisty. She doesn't back down easily and for that you like her a teeny tiny bit."

Nathan raised an eyebrow but chose not to answer. Henry chuckled. "Yeah, I thought so."

As if on cue the door open again and Sheriff Carter entered with Zoe and Cassie in tow. Cassie quickly scanned the room and smirked when she noticed Stark watching her. Then she turned and followed Zoe to a table to the side.

Nathan sighed and purposeful turned his back to the Sheriff and the two young women. Henry shook his head in amusement. He patted Nathan's shoulder before excusing himself and, picking up his beer, he left to sit down with some of his friends.

Next time the door opened, a real smile appeared on his face and he went to greet Allison and lead her to a table as far away from the Sheriff as possible. Allison, however, stopped him when she spotted Cassie and went over to her.

"How's the hand?" she asked after greeting everyone at the table. Stark had come over as well and was now standing behind her, scowling at Cassie.

"It's fine," Cassie replied dismissively. Well, it was it a bit uncomfortable, but it wasn't hurting too badly.

"Do you mind if I have a look?"

Cassie scrunched up her face. Then her eyes lightened up with glee. "Here? I mean, I don't wanna put people off their food, you know."

Allison rolled her eyes and sat down next to Cassie. Pulling the injured hand into her lap, she quickly pulled of the bandage and probed the cut. "Looks good."

"I told you so," Cassie grumbled as she got her hand to herself again. Allison smiled and got up. "And don't forget to use the antiseptic cream."

Zoe snickered as Cassie threw Allison a dark look. "Trust me, between dad and SARAH, there's no way she can forget about the cream. SARAH would probably insist on applying it herself if she were able to do so!"

"What can I say," Cassie said, looking up at Stark with a smirk. "I'm a very lovable person."

Stark snorted but gave Cassie the tiniest of smiles. Then he took Allison's arm and led her to their table - making sure it was as far away as possible from Carter's table.

oooooo

They'd done it. They had rescued their people - well, freed them at this point - and were now fighting their way out of the compound and away from the interference it caused with the transport system aboard the Odyssey.

The Lucian Alliance weren't giving in easily, though. They were throwing everything they had at them, despite the large number of fatalities they'd received during the initial attack. But the surprise of the attack had long gone and now both sides were quite evenly matched.

"Carter?" Cam gave his teammate a concerned look before concentrating on the opposition again.

"I'm okay. Gotta love an overdose of adrenaline," she replied, trying hard not to breathe too deeply. She'd done her job, got them into the compound through the backdoor without meeting much resistance. They'd even picked up some nice tech on the way - and destroyed what they couldn't carry or didn't need. "Let's go."

A few minutes later and Sam had all but forgotten about her quip. There simply wasn't enough adrenaline around to stop her chest from burning as if it were on fire. It didn't help that they couldn't just walk to the exit like every normal person. Nope. So far they had sprinted a couple of times, squeezed through a rather narrow opening and even crawled once or twice.

"Carter!"

Sam looked up and was surprised to find Cam looking back at her. She must have zoned out for a second, because they last thing she remembered was him giving her a sign to start their latest run while he and Teal'c covered her.

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not." Cameron deadpanned. "We're almost there. Move now, pass out later. And that's an order!"

The officer in Sam answered to the tone of voice before she'd processed his words. "Yes Sir!"

Sam had completely lost track of time when Daniel appeared on her side, putting a supporting arm around her. "One more run, okay?"

She nodded - and then they were running. With each step, she was leaning more heavily on Daniel. Suddenly, the burning sensation in her chest was joined by another, more painful burn, but by the time her brain registered this, they were far enough from any interference for the Odyssey's transporters to work.

And, as soon as she felt the change in her environment, she stopped fighting and let the darkness claim her.

oooooo

_A/N: *waves* ... Hello? Anyone here? Sorry about the long wait, but who'd have thought moving takes that much time? Well, the moving itself was done within a day, but the packing beforehand! Where the hell did all that stuff come from? Surely, there must have been someone sneaking all those things into my flat! I'm just glad my friend is an apparent Master at Tetris and managed to get all the boxes into the van. LOL. _

_Anyway, I'm all moved now and started a new job too and now I'm all good to give writing a go again (Hey! I want to know how my stories end too!). Just one question to any English people (or anyone living in England) though - Is it just me or do companies generally make appointments to come by only to never turn up down here? That happened with three different companies last week (though one finally turned up - a day late!)! Maybe someone can find a way to move my new flat (which I love!) and job back up to Scotland? Pretty please? Or just kick nPower and VirginMedia really, really hard?_


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Jack glared at the monitor in front of him. His computer had just eaten the report he'd so painstakingly finished seconds earlier. He picked up his mug and his glare deepened when he realised that it was empty. As if that wasn't enough, a lukewarm ice-pack next to him was mockingly reminding him of the earlier incident at Global Dynamics. Luckily, they had been able to resolve the situation without causing any major damage. In fact, the painful lump at the back of his head was the only damage done to anyone - or anything for that matter.

Although, if his computer wasn't going to give him back his already finished report anytime soon, there might be a late casualty. He could always say he knocked it over as he stood up too quickly. That idea brought a smile to his face and it continued to spread as he imagined his computer's _accident_ in more detail. He'd even redo his report just to see this!

Unfortunately his phone rang and the pictures of the crashed computers vanished from his inner eye.

"Carter."

"Jack."

Jack opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He swallowed and then tried again, "Is Sam okay?"

There was a small chuckle on the other side - a chuckle that had Jack release a sigh of relief.

"She'll be fine."

"_Be_?" Jack took another deep breath, willing his heart to slow down further. "What happened? I mean, can you _tell_ me what happened?"

"Accident at work?"

Jack snorted. "Yeah, I figured as much. Do I need to be worried you're calling instead of her? And that you're calling me instead of Cassie."

There was a tired sigh before he answered. "They're still travelling back and we only have limited contact. Then there'll be more medical assessments and debriefings so it'll probably be a while before Carter can call herself."

Jack rubbed his face and shook his head at Jo, who'd just entered the sheriff's office and was looking questioningly at him. "Do you want me to tell Cassie?"

There was a pause at the other end. "Only if she asks or gets worried... I know it's a lot to ask but I don't want to worry her unnecessarily. Especially as the Doc didn't seem to be too worried about Carter's condition. "

He nodded, even though he knew the General wouldn't see it. He'd probably have done the same if it were Zoe. "What about your friend? Is he okay?"

This time the answer came without hesitation. "Yeah, everyone is fine, if a bit banged up. And Jack? Thanks, I really appreciate your help. I need to go, I'll call if anything changes but don't worry if you don't hear anything for a couple of days, okay?"

"Okay. Thanks for the heads up. And your trust."

This time the chuckle on the other end was genuine. "I trust Carter, she trusts you."

Jack finished the call and looked over to Jo. She was shuffling some papers on her desk, but it didn't need a genius to figure out she wasn't really concentrating on her work. "Just aks."

Jo looked up sheepishly before coming over and sitting on the edge of the desk. "Tell Cassie? Is there something wrong with Sam?"

"Nothing too serious but she can't call and reassure Cassie herself for a couple of days. So we're not going to tell her unless she asks, okay?" Jack answered after a few moments of contemplation.

"You never told me what she did for a living."

He smirked and shook his head. "That's for me to know and you to find out."

"But it's good?"

"You have no idea!" Jack chuckled again. "Though I'm sure you'd appreciate it."

Jo rolled her eyes at his teasing. "Fine. Be that way." Her eyes lighting up, she added, "Hey, you need Cassie distracted, right? That means I'll better go and bug her about a test ride on Sam's bike."

"Paper work."

"Spoilsport."

o-o-o

Stark entered Café Diem and his eyes fell immediately on Cassie. Whenever he had come to collect lunch for the past week, she'd been sitting in the same spot near the window, an open laptop and several books in front of her. But, unlike today, she had been focused on the books and laptop instead of staring into space. Pushing the unexpected curiosity at her behaviour to the back of his mind, he turned to the counter and ordered lunch.

"So you're finally giving it a try?" Vincent asked, sounding rather pleased.

Stark frowned. "What?"

"Green jell-o? It's the first time you've ordered it."

Stark made an uncommitted sound in the back of his throat, but didn't comment further. He had no idea why he had added the green jell-o to his order. While Stark waited for Vincent to prepare his lunch, he let his eyes wander around the cafe. Yet, somehow, they always ended up on the lone figure staring into space. Growling, he turned and deliberated avoided looking into Cassie's direction. This was his lunch time and he had no desire to spend it with that annoying friend of Carter.

Unfortunately, his curiosity won out.

He had wanted to know what she was reading ever since he first saw her surrounded by books but had managed to not check so far. But mix in the faraway look and he suddenly knew he'd go over as soon as Vincent handed him his food. A few minutes later he walked over and put his food on the empty table next to Cassie, sat down and unceremoniously picking up the open book closest to him.

The action caught Cassie's attention and she leaned back in her chair, scowling at Stark. "Hey! I'm not a library, you know."

Stark didn't even look up. Instead, he picked up the green jell-o and placed it in front of Cassie. "Eat, I'm busy."

Cassie huffed before grabbing the spoon and digging into the dessert. There was no sense in letting it get to waste, after all.

"So, genetics?"

Cassie ignored him, concentrating on the taste of her dessert instead. Eventually, there was nothing left to eat so she looked up. "You were saying?"

Stark rolled his eyes and held up the book he was holding. "You're interested in genetics?"

She tapped her chin thoughtfully and Stark could almost see the mischief creeping into her eyes. Therefore he'd expected her answer to be anything but straightforward - and he wasn't disappointed.

"Naw! But the books have pretty pictures." She grabbed one from the table and opened a random page. Sure enough, it showed a colourful and rather comic-like illustration of the DNA replication process. "See? Although, I would have chosen a slightly different colour scheme."

"Of course you would." Stark rolled his eyes at her and picked up a couple of scientific papers that had been buried underneath the books. "What about these? They don't have pretty pictures."

"They're just for show. You know, to make me look smart," Cassie deadpanned.

Stark shook his head in exasperation at her and took a sip of his coffee. He had to admit he wasn't too surprised by his discovery. Her verbal comebacks were usually quick, ingenious and, albeit they were often annoying, they also spoke of her intelligence. In fact, he had come to look forward to their verbal sparring matches. Of course he would never admit to any of this.

Focusing on her again, he said, "Well, it might work if you'd stop staring into space. What's up with that?"

Cassie shrugged her shoulders. "Just thinking."

"Need a painkiller?"

She snorted and gave him a genuine smile. "Nice one."

Stark smirked. Then he dug into lunch while he watched Cassie from the corner of his eye. She picked up the book he'd been holding earlier and started flipping through the pages, occasionally stopping to read for a couple of minutes. It didn't take a genius - although he obviously was one - to figure out that her mind was elsewhere. His lunch finished, he sighed theatrically and turned back to her. "What's going on?"

Cassie frowned as she studied him. "Are you _worried_?"

He snorted and rolled his eyes. Tilting his head, he asked, "Are _you_? Maybe about that obnoxious friend of yours?"

"Sam's working," Cassie replied defensively. "She can look after herself."

"You _are_ worried about her." Stark looked at her in surprise. "She's gone over a week now and that worries you. Where exactly is she anyway?"

"Working," Cassie said, repeating her earlier statement.

One corner of his mouth lifting up, he patted her shoulder a couple of times. "She's way too annoying for anything to happen to her."

"Stark! What are _you_ doing here?" Jack had come into Café Diem just as Stark patted Cassie's shoulder. It was so out of place that he had bypassed the counter and went straight over to them.

"Carter. It might come as a surprise to you, but I was having lunch just like all the other people in here. You should try it sometimes, the food is pretty good."

"Funny. Very funny."

Stark stood up and leaned close to Jack. "You might wanna cheer her up. She's worried about that math-teacher loving friend of yours."

Jack watched Stark leave before sitting down on the chair he'd just vacated. "Cassie?"

She kept staring at her screen, even though there was nothing but a blank page. Jack gently grabbed her chin and turned her face towards him. Frowning at what he saw, he sighed and rubbed his face. "Stark's right, huh?"

Cassie shrugged. "Sam's busy and calling is usually pretty difficult."

He took a deep breath and, avoiding her eyes, said, "She'll be fine. Everyone else is fine too, just a bit banged up."

Cassie's eyes opened wide as the meaning of his comments hit her. "You know something! And you didn't tell me!"

"Cass, Cassie!" Jack grabbed her hands and squeezed. "Sam's fine and will call as soon as possible. Jack mentioned something about travelling and check-ups and debriefings and that it might be a couple of days, though."

"Jack! He called you?" She looked at him accusingly at first, but her anger was quickly replaced by worry. "She's hurt, isn't she?"

He nodded. "I don't know what happened, though. Only that she'll be fine. If it helps, Jack was more worried about how you'd react to the news than he was about Sam's injuries. That has to be in her favour, right?"

Her frown deepened. "I guess."

They were startled by the ringing of Cassie's cell phone before Jack could reply. The relief on her face said it all. Jack rubbed her shoulders reassuringly and encouraged her to answer. "Let me guess, Sam has got great timing?"

o-o-o

"Is Sam okay? Dad just told me she's in hospital. And is she coming back to Eureka?" Zoe asked while she dragged her friend to the dining area and the waiting dinner.

Cassie smiled at the quick-fire questions. "Sam's fine. I just spoke to her and she's already planning her escape from the infirmary."

Zoe released the breath she'd been holding. Sure, her dad had told her that Sam was going to be fine - and he was giving her his _'I told you so'_ look right now - but he hadn't talked to Sam like Cassie had. "What happened?"

Cassie shrugged her shoulders. "It's all confidential stuff. She basically ended up with a few broken ribs and some sort of flesh wound to her leg. Although, knowing Sam, this could mean anything from something needing a couple of stitches to her leg almost falling off. Though I'm sure she'd have mentioned if the latter one had happened."

"Cas-_sie_!" Jack scrunched up his face as he came down the stairs. "Less imagery please. I was looking forward to my dinner!"

Zoe and Cassie shared a grin and went to either side of Jack, patting a shoulder each. "We can always take dessert off of you if you can't stomach it."

He pulled a face at them before pointing at their respective seats. "Sit. Or neither of you will be coming with me when I pick up Sam."

"We can still bet on the number of stitches, right?" Cassie asked, tongue in cheek.

Giggling at Jack's face, Cassie picked up her fork and dug in. Seconds later she was hit by Jack's napkin. "Eat."

o-o-o

Two days later, Cassie strolled into Café Diem, a wide grin on her face. Spotting Stark at the counter, she slightly changed direction and plopped down next to him. "Vincent!" she gave him a brilliant smile. "I'd like some jell-o to go, please. Two green, one yellow and a huge portion of blue jell-o."

"_Two_ green?" Stark asked, his eyebrow raised in amusement. "Isn't one enough anymore?"

Cassie winked at him and leaned closer. "Nope! You can even buy me a third one!"

Vincent came back before Stark could answer. "There you go. So, blue jell-o? Does that mean Sam's back?"

"Yup." Cassie pointed at the food she'd just received. "And she's really looking forward to this."

Vincent positively beamed while Stark groaned loudly. Cassie picked up the box full of dessert-y goodness and patted Stark's shoulder. "Don't worry. I'll tell her just how much you missed her."

"Who missed who?" Zane asked, sitting down on Cassie's empty side.

"Sam's back. And you just need to look at Stark to see how much he's looking forward to seeing her again!"

Stark snorted while Zane smirked at him. "Yeah, I can see that."

"Ha! Told you so." Cassie smiled sweetly and, to the shock of the three men, kissed Stark's cheek. "See ya later, hot stuff!"

Amidst the snickers of Zane and Vincent, Cassie left the cafe and headed for the Sheriff's office to meet up with Jack. She couldn't wait to tell Sam all the gossip from the last ten days or so.

o-o-o

_A/N: Sorry about another long wait. I swear He-Muse and She-Muse are still mad at me for moving and leaving all their Muse-friends behind. Oh well, they'll get over it. Thanks again for all your reviews, I just love them! And they are pretty handy for dangling in front of my muses to remind them of their job. (Also, Telyra, guess what - we've got the same mother tongue! So no worries there!)_

_And the new season of Eureka? I absolutely love it! Friday's episode (Momstrosity) was my absolute favourite so far. It's also the best season for Jo. In my opinion anyway._


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

The butterflies in her belly were busy fluttering all over the place, alternating between causing feelings of happiness and anxiety. Cassie just wished they'd settle on one thing. One she could handle, sort of, but the two contradicting feelings were slowly but surely driving her crazy.

"Are we there yet?"

"Sure," Jack replied just as they drove past a sign announcing their destination was another ten miles away.

"Liar," Cassie said, glaring at the back of his head. "We're already five minutes late! What if-"

"What? What if Sam decides to go back to the hospital?" Zoe raised her eyebrows at her friend. "I'm pretty sure Sam knows we'll be a bit late after all the texts you've send her. She'll probably use that as an excuse to sneak another coffee in."

"It's just..."

Jack had a quick look at Cassie through his rear view mirror. "I know. But Sam's fine or her doctor wouldn't have allowed her to travel, right?"

Cassie made an uncommitted sound before going back to looking out the window, once again trying to convince the butterflies in her belly that happiness was so much better than anxiety.

oxoxoxo

"I don't see a lake." Jack scratched his head as he looked around the area.

"Because there isn't one. Once you see the photos on the walls you'll understand," Zoe said. She grabbed Cassie's hand and dragged her to the entrance of the Lakeview Café.

Right before the door, Cassie's feet went on strike.

Zoe tilted her head. "What's up?"

Cassie smiled lopsidedly. "It's not me. It's my feet, I swear! Poor things forgot how to walk."

Jack, standing behind Cassie, made eye contact with his daughter before wrapping his arms around Cassie's waist. Then he lifted her up slightly and carried her through the door.

"I think she's over there." Zoe grinned at her dad and quickly walked to the left.

Cassie started to wriggle just as she regained her ability to speak. "Thanks, Jack," she said, her face suspiciously red. "I think they remember now." As soon as her feet hit the ground, she glared at them, mumbling, "Forget your next pedicure. I mean, you can't just embarrass me like that and expect a reward!"

"Cassandra Fraiser, do you require assistance?"

She looked up so quickly that Jack winced in sympathy with her neck. Then, before he could blink, he watched her run to a large, dark-skinned man and basically jump into his arms.

"Uncle Teal'c!"

Following Cassie at a more sedate pace - after all, his feet didn't have to make up for earlier strike actions - Jack watched her hug her uncle long and hard.

"Hi," Jack said, giving a little wave.

Cassie, her arm now firmly linked with Teal'c's, said, "Teal'c meet Jack Carter."

Jack held out his hand. "Nice to meet you."

Teal'c tilted his head slightly, giving Jack a thorough once-over. By the time he shook the offered hand, Jack was starting to wonder if he had offended him or something. He coughed to cover his unease and could have sworn he saw something akin to a smirk flash in Teal'c's eyes. But it was gone so quickly that Jack couldn't be sure. Pushing the thought to the back of his mind, he took a closer look at their surroundings. "Where's Zoe?"

"And Sam?" Cassie added while she started chewing on her lower lip.

Zoe chose that moment to reappear from a doorway leading to a smaller, more private room within the cafe. "Dad, don't tell me you got lost again!"

"Hey! I don't get lost!" Jack grumbled just as he reached his daughter. "I just like to take the scenic route sometimes."

He stopped short when he was greeted by several snorts from people he didn't know. People who were sitting around Sam's table, and who were sporting a plethora of injuries. Although, none looked as ... interesting as his cousin. Ignoring the snorts for now, he quickly made his way over to Sam to take a closer look.

"Hey Jack," Sam said, a sheepish smile on her face.

Jack put his hands in his pockets and rocked slightly on the balls of his feet. "So ... did you at least put _Trouble_ out of its misery?"

Zoe and Cassie exchanged a look of surprise before they broke out giggling. This, of course, only added to the confusion of the others. Instead of explaining, though, Cassie took her sweet time of introducing Jack to Daniel, Cameron and Vala before squeezing past Daniel to sit down next to Sam. "Uncle Jack called after Sam had left," she said by way of explanation.

"And after we realised finding trouble seems to be a Carter thing," Zoe started before Cassie smoothly finished, "I told them how mom used to say that trouble was only finding Sam, well, all of you really, because it knew you would put it out of its misery."

Sam and Daniel shared a quick look and said in unison, "We aren't that bad."

Teal'c raised one eyebrow at that. Vala patted his arm and said, "I'd say Muscle here disagrees. Not that I would mind you getting yourselves in trouble all the time. I happen to like trouble."

There were more snorts before Daniel grumbled, "There should be a picture of you next to the explanation of _trouble_ in each dictionary."

Vala smiled brilliantly at him, "Why, Daniel. I didn't know you cared!"

While Jack watched in astonishment as the so-called adults bickered around him, Cassie leaned over to Zoe and whispered, "Think we should introduce Vala to Stark?"

Jack was unfortunate enough to hear that question as well and spit out his coffee in response.

"_Da-ad_! I can't take you anywhere, can I?"

The conversations around the table stopped immediately and Jack suddenly found himself in the centre of attention.

"What happened?" Sam asked curiously.

Jack shook his head.

"Come on, Jack. You can't keep an injured person waiting. That's just cruel!"

"You're evil."

"I try." Sam grinned. "Now spill."

Jack huffed but seeing the amused faces around him, didn't feel like denying her request. "They might have mentioned Stark and Vala in one sentence."

Sam's eyes opened comically wide and she started laughing. At least she tried to, as the action caused a sharp pain to run through her ribs. Wincing, she held her side while trying to stop laughing. But the picture of Vala meeting Stark proofed too funny so she ended up doing a weird wincing laugh.

"Broken ribs?" Jack asked knowingly.

"With a side order of punctured lung," Cameron added. He felt a kick against his shin. Shrugging innocently, he said, "What? They need to know these things if they're going to take care of you. Of course, we can always take you back to the infirmary..."

Sam glared at him, then she turned to Vala. "We are so going to do it!"

"What? You're going to do what?" Cam asked in alarm that only increased exponentially when Vala leaned in close and smirked at him. "Daniel?" Cam all but pleaded.

Daniel leaned back and shook his head. "Sorry Cam, you're on your own with this one."

"What's more interesting, though, is the question who _is_ this Stark person?"

Now it was Jack's turn to grin evilly. "Let me tell you all about him."

oxoxoxo

Jack closed his zipper and went to wash his hands. "Whoa! I didn't hear you come in."

Teal'c stood with his arms behind his back, not moving a muscle as he continued to watch Jack.

Jack took pressed the button of the soap dispenser and proceeded to wash his hands. "Is there anything wrong? With Sam?"

Teal'c tilted his head and continued to watch him. Jack swallowed nervously, decided his hands weren't clean enough and started another cycle of dispensing soap, scrubbing and rinsing. Once again he could have sworn Teal'c was amused by his actions, though it was hard to tell with him. If he hadn't seen him smile at Cassie earlier, Jack would have sworn that that man's face muscles simply weren't working.

With his hands clean, _really_ clean, and Teal'c still standing unmoving next to him and right in front of the door, Jack did the next best thing - and sighed. "Let me guess, I hurt Sam or Cassie and you come and hunt me down, doing unspeakable things to me before making sure my dismembered body will never be found?"

Jack almost punched the air in success when he got a reaction out of Teal'c. Well, it wasn't more than one of his eyebrows meeting his hairline for a short chat but it was a reaction nonetheless. "Actually, that was the most creative threat so far. Cam's was pretty box-standard and I'm not sure Daniel's was really a threat." Jack frowned and scratched his head. "I mean, tying me to a chair and giving me a lecture on protecting one's family throughout time in different societies? It can't be that bad, can it?"

Teal'c smirked.

Teal'c _smirked_! Jack's eyes opened wide. "_Really_?"

"Indeed. Knowledge is Daniel Jackson's weapon of choice. I believe the correct term for his promise is to bore you to death should anything happen to Samantha Carter or Cassandra Fraiser."

Jack groaned. Teal'c finally said more than one sentence and it had to be that? "I guess I can expect a little chat from Vala too."

Teal'c bowed his head before opening the door for Jack. "Indeed. I would also advice you to check the state of your attire afterwards."

Jack looked up in alarm. "_What_!"

But Teal'c had already closed the door, leaving Jack alone in the corridor leading back to the tables. Jack shrugged. It looked like Teal'c had more than one reason to come to the restroom, maybe he was human after all. He turned around to head back - and run straight into Vala.

Vala, of course, wasn't bothered by it. Instead, she turned them so that Jack was caught between the wall and her body. She leaned in close, making sure her chest was pressing tightly against his and, while tracing his jaw with her finger, whispered, "Sam and Cassie are my friends."

Jack swallowed hard. He was feeling hot and cold shivers running down his back in quick succession. "I ... know."

"Good." Vala pressed herself even closer against him and added a wriggle or two for good measure. "I'd love to tell you what I'll do to you if something happens to them but the others disapprove of torture and cutting people up so you'll have to use your imagination."

Jack groaned - and it had nothing to do with his blood rushing south for a meeting he'd rather not like to think about. "Gotcha."

"Good." Vala wriggled one final time before stepping back. "It'd be a shame to maim that yummy body of yours."

"Uh ... thanks?"

Vala smiled sweetly which did nothing to ease Jack's nervousness. He swallowed hard as she slowly licked her lips. She laughed throatily when he took a careful step to the side. Looking at him from under her eyelashes she nodded toward a door next to him. "Wanna check out the supply closet?"

"Ah ... no. I think I'll ... uh ... head back. Yeah. I'll head back to the table." Jack squeezed past Vala and walked away just slow enough that it couldn't be called running yet.

Vala was grinning widely, nudging Teal'c who'd appeared next to her. "I think it will be good for Sam to spend some time with them."

oxoxoxo

"Dad? Are you okay?"

Jack nodded and sat down. Taking a sip of his coffee, he sent several silent thanks to Teal'c for warning him about Vala as just as he was about to re-enter the seating area he'd noticed his fly and the bottom half of his shirt open.

"Are you sure?" Zoe asked. "You're looking a bit flushed."

Daniel and Sam looked at each other before Daniel sighed and Sam giggled. "Vala," they said in unison.

Jack blushed a little, then shrugged it off. "So, when can I introduce her to Stark?"

oxoxoxo

"Your friends are crazy," Jack said an hour later, while they were driving back to Eureka.

"I know and I wouldn't wanna have it any other way." Sam smiled as she glanced at him. "So ... threats?"

"What!" Jack gave her a quick look before concentrating back on the road and Sam could see the shock in his expression. "Why would ... no!"

Cassie chuckled behind them and she leaned forward, patting his shoulder a couple of times. "Sure they did or they wouldn't be who they are. Besides, they wouldn't have bothered if they didn't like you. In fact, Sam wouldn't be _here_ if they thought you wouldn't look after her."

Zoe's head appeared next to Cassie's. "They really threatened you? How?"

"They didn't-" Seeing none of them believed him, he sighed and conceded. "Okay, maybe there were a few threats. Little ones."

"Cool!"

"Thanks, Zoe," Jack said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"You're welcome, dad!" Zoe smiled sweetly before leaning back into her seat. "Now, what are we going to do about Stark?"

"I think Cassie broke him." Jack looked at Sam and chuckled. Leaning towards her while still keeping his eyes on the road he stage-whispered, "He's been _nice_ to her lately!"

"And he looked really happy when she told him you were back," Zoe added helpfully, earning herself a slap against her arm.

Sam giggled, careful not to jostle her injuries. "Believe it or not, I kinda missed him too."

"_Really_?"

Sam shrugged her shoulders, "Well, he's so easy to wind up! What's not to like about that? Especially as I don't have to work with him."

"But wouldn't it be fun to tell him just how smart you are?" Jack all but whined.

"Oh look! Eureka!"

Cassie snorted at Sam's rather blatant change of topic.

"You're lucky you're injured," Jack said. "Or that so wouldn't have worked."

oxoxoxo

_A/N: I'm back! I think my muses simply don't like this year. They keep running away... but maybe now that I'm settled in my new job, they might stay around longer. I'm certainly back to a more regular writing schedule now. And I've got a plan/timeline for this story and most of next chapter is already written. So there'll be another update next week, even if my muses won't cooperate. Ha! Anyway, I hope you're still enjoying this!_


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

"Colonel Carter! I mean, Sam! You're back!"

"Thanks SARAH, I've missed you too," Sam said, chuckling a little. Once she had made her way to the couch, she sighed in relief and carefully lowered herself down. "Ever thought about getting an elevator?"

"You okay?" Cassie and Jack asked immediately. "Maybe you should go and lie down?" Cassie continued, a frown marring her face.

Sam shook her head but didn't protest when Jack carefully lifted her injured leg and helped her move so she could put it up. "I'm done lying down doing nothing. Besides, sitting is easier on my ribs."

"I can ask Dr Fargo about the elevator," SARAH offered.

"Naw, it's okay. I'll be fine in no time."

"Are you sure?"

"Yep," Sam said reassuringly. "Until then I'll just have to go slow."

"But the guestroom is upstairs."

Sam couldn't help but smile at the distress in SARAH's voice. It certainly was the first time that she had a house worry about her. "And the mattress makes more than up for that. It's fine, really." Sam took a sniff of the air and grinned. "And am I smelling what I think I'm smelling? SARAH, any chance I can take you home with me?"

The lights flickered for a moment and Sam knew she'd said the right thing again. Cassie, who had joined her on the couch, chuckled. "Someone's getting on SARAH's good side, huh?"

"You know all the things she can access? If I'm cooped up all day the least I can do is have some fun!"

"Sam, work is not fun," Cassie chastised.

"Sure it is. Some of it, anyway. Besides, I like discussing things with SARAH. She doesn't roll her eyes or gets bored."

Cassie shook her head and groaned. "Okay, I'll talk to Jack about letting you spent at least some time at Café Diem. Or you'll do nothing but work!"

"I knew I could count on you."

"_Sa-am_!"

Sam just smiled innocently. "What?"

oxoxo

Jack entered the bunker, a big smile on his face. It was good to be home. Even better, for a change, nothing had gone spectacularly wrong all day.

"SARAH, door."

"Jack, we have to do something," Cassie said almost immediately. His daughter was standing next to her, nodding vigorously. "Or you won't recognise SARAH after Sam is through with all the updates she has in mind. And she's only been stuck here for a day!"

Jack frowned as he followed Cassie into his home. He had to admit that SARAH _was_ unusually quiet; she had yet to greet him and ask about his day, something she normally did without fail. With Cassie and Zoe trailing behind him, he made his way into the living room.

Sam was sitting on the couch, her legs stretched out in front of her - which was just what he had hoped he'd find. However, the big TV screen facing her was filled with equations and diagrams and other highly headache inducing stuff. Then there was the laptop she was typing on furiously and a look over her shoulder showed him only more of the same gibberish.

"Sam."

Instead of an acknowledgement there was only more typing.

"SARAH?"

Again, nothing. He looked back at Zoe and Cassie and was greeted with almost identical we-told-you-so looks. Jack considered his options for a moment, then stepped in front of the TV screen. The next time Sam looked up he waved and grinned cheekily. "Hey."

"Jack! Uh ... I didn't hear you come in," Sam said.

"Sheriff Carter, how was your day?" SARAH asked almost immediately, sounding just as sheepish as Sam.

"Good and what have you two been up to all day?" He looked pointedly at Sam. "I hope it involved lots of resting and naps."

"I slept in this morning," Sam said. When Cassie snorted in the background, she added defensively, "What? I have!"

Cassie came over and sat down next to Sam. "Sorry, Sam. But 9a.m. does _not_ count as sleeping in."

"Sure it does!"

"No."

"Yes."

"_No-o_."

"Kids!" Jack sighed and shook his head. "Sleeping in or not, what else did you do today?"

Cassie nodded towards the TV screen, arms crossed in front of her. "_That_. I barely got her to eat lunch."

Sighing again Jack sat down on the couch table, facing both Cassie and Sam. Cassie looked clearly upset now and Sam wasn't her usual cheerful self either. He couldn't be sure, but she seemed to look a bit guilty too. Grabbing a hand each, he asked, "What's really going on?"

Both women shrugged their shoulders. "SARAH?"

"Yes, Sheriff Carter?"

"Uh, did Sam move around unnecessarily today?"

"No."

Okay, so that couldn't be what had Cassie so upset and Sam looking guilty. "Okay. What about her medications? Did she take them?"

"I'm right here, you know," Sam grumbled. Jack patted her knee but still looked up expectantly. "SARAH?"

"Yes. I even double-checked on the recommended doses for them. She maxed out on pain medication and did take everything else as recommended by her doctor."

"Thanks, SARAH," Jack said, not sure how to continue. He was about to ask another question when Cassie mumbled something unintelligible. "Cassie?"

She shrugged her shoulders.

"I believe she said _'Maxed out my ass!'_," SARAH said, confusion evident in her voice. "I assume Cassie referred to the pain medication but then I do not understand her statement. Sam took the maximum dose advisable."

Seeing Cassie glare at him while Sam definitely looked guilty now, Jack turned his attention to his daughter. She was standing behind the couch, watching the scene playing out in silence. However, upon SARAH's latest comment she had started to chew on her lower lip. He was definitely missing something vital. "Zoe?"

Zoe huffed exaggerated but, having enough of her friends hurting - metaphorically and physically - said, "There's a difference between the maximum dose for the general public and the one for Sam? A big one?"

"Sam?"

"I'm fine. Taking too much pain meds makes me woozy and I don't like that," she said, stubbornly avoiding looking at him.

"Right." Jack squeezed Cassie's hand reassuringly. Now that he knew what had her so upset, he could do something about it. Turning his attention back at Sam he said, "If you're fine with the lower dose, then why does it look like you're trying to keep your mind overly busy just so you're not constantly reminded of the pain?"

Sam looked everywhere but him.

"I am sorry, Sheriff Carter. I was not aware that this is even possible," SARAH said, interrupting the silence that had descended upon them. "How is it possible?"

Sam frowned. "It's nothing special; just an accident at work that messed up my body chemistry a bit."

"It's not your fault, SARAH. I guess we just need to set new ground rules."

For the first time this evening, Sam looked up and met Jack's eyes for longer than just a couple of seconds. He could now see why Cassie was so upset; Sam was clearly in pain. "I increase the pain meds if you give me a lift to Cafe Diem in the morning? I can rest there almost as good as I can do here. And it leaves me less time to conspire with SARAH."

"Conspire with SARAH?"

"Trust me, dad, you _don't_ wanna know," Zoe said, shuddering visibly at the thought. "Sam's way too smart for her own good and with nothing else to do, she's given SARAH all those ideas for so-called improvements."

"Hey!" Sam and SARAH said in unison.

"See?" Zoe asked. "Told you so. We _really_ shouldn't let them alone for too long."

"Fine." He rolled his eyes at his overly dramatic daughter. Turning back to Sam he asked, "How much more pain meds are we talking?"

"Double dose?" Sam offered sheepishly, knowing all too well he wouldn't be happy with her taking less than half her recommended maximum dose.

"_Double_? Just how much pain _are_ you in right now?"

Sam carefully shrugged her right shoulder, that way she wouldn't unnecessarily jostle the broken ribs on her left side. "I've had worse. And before you ask, we haven't tested just how much I can take before it becomes dangerous to me. But double the normal dose is safe, and triple probably too. At least for short times."

"Triple." Jack shook his head in disbelieve. Standing up, he started to pace in front of the couch. "That sounds like you shouldn't have bothered to take any pain meds at all!"

Sam glared at him before saying, "I am _taking_ the triple dose. At night anyway."

Jack groaned, then looked at Cassie. "Is she always this difficult?"

"Yep." Relieved that she now had Jack's - and probably SARAH's - help to get Sam taking the proper amount of medication, Cassie smiled at him. "Mom always complained about all of them being difficult patients."

"Hey! I'm right here, you know," Sam grumbled.

"Well, you deserve it after the stunt you pulled today," Jack said. "But if you promise to be a good girl - don't snort or I'll change my mind again - if you promise to be a good girl I'll come and collect you for lunch at Café Diem tomorrow."

"Only lunch?" Sam asked in disappointment.

"Lunch until I finish work. If there're no complaints."

Sam huffed once again. "You'd think I'm still a child."

Jack said down on the couch table again and grabbed both her hands. "We just worry about you. Besides, how can you put Stark in his place when you can't think straight because of all the pain you're in?"

"Fine."

Jack grabbed her chin and lifted her head up. He smirked when he saw her pout. "Cute. Now be a good girl and take your pills. I might even give you some of the dessert I brought from Café Diem."

oxoxo

"Freedom!" Sam opened the passenger door as soon as Jack stopped his jeep in front of Café Diem. "Oh how I have missed you!"

"Take it slow," Jack warned only half-jokingly, "Or you'll fall on your pretty face and end up back in hospital."

Sam glared at him. She had only managed to manoeuvre her crutch out the door before he'd appeared on her side. "You better not jinxed it or your body will never be found. And that's a promise."

Jack wisely decided not to comment but helped her out of his jeep instead. He only let go of her once he was sure she was steady on her feet.

"Carter!"

Both their heads turned around to where Jo's voice had been coming from. "Hey, Jo."

"Sam! Whoa! What bus did _you_ run into?" Jo quickly crossed the remaining distance between them and gave Sam a thorough once over. Pointing at her almost black and still swollen eye, she said, "Impressive."

"I know," Sam said, grinning. "I wasn't quite sure at first but now I think the scratches on my cheek go well with it. I think it's the combination of colours that makes all the difference."

Jo snorted in amusement but almost immediately became more serious again. "What else? Injured leg and a few broken ribs?" At Sam's questioning look, Jo nodded towards her left arm. "I had my fair share of them. And I didn't feel like moving my arm much either."

"Good thing I'm right-handed," Sam said as she slowly manoeuvred into the cafe and, despite rolling her eyes at Jack's urging to go and sit down, towards a table that would allow her to overlook most of the cafe. Jo, having given Jack her order accompanied by her most charming smile, followed suit.

"So, what happened? I mean Carter said you were injured at work but he wouldn't tell me more than that." Jo said once they were sitting down. "Or what you do for a living."

Lucky for Sam - or unluckily for Jo - Sam she was saved from answering by Vincent arriving at their table. "Oh my! Look at you, all black and blue and green! What happened? Are you okay?"

Sam smiled, touched by his concern. "I'm fine, thank you." Motioning for him to move closer, she stage-whispered, "I was looking for a way to come back to Eureka and your amazing food."

Vincent stood visibly taller, a big smile across his face. "Don't you worry, we'll get up and running around in no time." He tilted his head and frowned. "You've lost weight. We'll take care of that too, starting right now." He was gone before Sam could protest. _She_ didn't mind the weight loss after all.

oxoxo

Stark was having a good day. So far he hadn't had to deal with incompetent staff or, even worse, Sheriff Carter. Even better, he had a lunch date with Allison. Okay, maybe they were supposed to talk about work, but it was still just the two of them. Hence, a date.

He switched off the radio but continued to whistle. Until he stepped out of his car and took a look around that is. There, right in front of Café Diem, was Carter's jeep. Rolling his eyes, he entered the cafe and went straight to Allison's table.

"What's up with the crowd in the corner?" he asked after kissing her cheek in greeting. He'd only taken a quick look but had recognised Deputy Sheriff Lupo, Zane, Cassie and Zoe. "Are they up to something?"

"Just keeping Sam company," Vincent said from behind, ready to take their order. And even readier to dish out some gossip. "Have you seen her? She looks like she's been hit by a truck! Her face is all blue and green and she's got a black eye, she's using a crutch and moving slowly like she's really hurting. She even lost weight! Poor thing. Now, what can I get you today?"

"Oh goody, Sam is back," Stark said once Vincent had left, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"She's not that bad," Allison replied. Smirking, she added, "Maybe she'll grow on you like Cassie did? They are friends, after all."

Stark snorted. "Please. Sam's more Carter's league, not mine."

Allison chuckled to herself, especially as Nathan was closer to the truth than he knew. "Aren't you curious about what happened to her?"

"Why? It's not like she could have done much damage," he said dismissively. "I mean, loving math because of the teacher?"

This time Allison laughed out loud. "You still aren't over that one, huh? You have to admit, she really got you with that one."

He rolled his eyes and covered her hand with his own. "Whatever. Now, can we talk about what we wanted to discuss in the first place?"

"Of course." Allison smiled sweetly at him, squeezing his hand when he smiled back at her. "We can always say hi to Sam afterwards."

Stark groaned.

So much for having a good day.

oxoxo

_A/N: I did it! The next chapter as promised. I even managed half of next chapter too. And your reviews certainly helped to keep He-Muse and She-Muse on track. So thanks a lot! I hope you like this one too. _


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Sam was once again so immersed in her work that she didn't hear the doorbell. Her nose, however, was more aware of its surroundings and quickly conveyed its discovery - a Vincent's Special plus dessert - to Sam's stomach. And its growling _did_ catch Sam's attention.

"Sounds like someone's hungry," Jo said, amusement evident in her voice.

Sam's head whipped around at the new voice and she smiled sheepishly. "I guess. Where's Jack?"

Jo put the food containers down and huffed. "We can leave again, you know."

Sam blushed and shook her head. "No! Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. Trust me, I'm happy for any distraction. I'd just hoped Jack would spring me for another afternoon at Vincent's."

"I know." Jo snickered and put three plates on couch table.

"Hey! You can't just mock a seriously injured and high on pain meds woman!" Sam said, the twinkle in her eyes contradicting the hurt in her voice.

"Sure I can," Jo said. "Right, Zane?"

Sam and Jo turned their attention toward him when he didn't reply. "Zane?" Jo asked, touching his shoulder to get his attention.

"Huh? Jo!" He turned around, eyes lit up with excitement. Pointing at the TV screen that once again contained equations and diagrams, he said, "That stuff is amazing! I've been working on some of these equations myself and I know Stark has too. I never tried this approach, though. And ... come on, SARAH! Put them back on! _Pleeease_?"

Jo exchanged a look with Sam and asked in mock-shock, "Did he really just say _please_?"

"It was more of a whine that sounded like please," Sam replied seriously. "Do you think he might be coming down with something?"

Jo handed a full plate to Sam before standing up and putting her hand on Zane's forehead. "Hm. Feels normal. But maybe we should eat his pie, just to be on the safe side, you know."

Sam nodded dutifully while Zane quickly grabbed another full plate and his dessert from the table. "Keep your hands off of my dessert!"

Jo and Sam snickered but followed Zane's example and dug into their food. Sam was suddenly very hungry and Zane not inquiring more about the equations had a lot to do with it. However, that feeling turned out to be rather short-lived.

"How did you get those equations?"

"Huh? You mean the gibberish SARAH was playing with? Poor thing was bored and I wasn't using the TV so I offered it to her to play with," Sam said dismissively. "I was just playing on my laptop."

"Uh huh." Zane waved his fork at her, "Then why don't I believe you?"

Sam looked at him in shock, putting her right hand over her heart. "Ouch. _That_ hurt."

Zane rolled his eyes while he put more food in his mouth. Once he'd swallowed, he said, "What do you know about Global Dynamics?"

"Hm." Sam tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I think I remember some thermodynamics from high school. Then again, my physics teacher was never as ogle-worthy as my math teacher, so I might be wrong."

"I agree," SARAH said, surprising everyone. The TV screen flickered on again and now, instead of numbers and diagrams, there were two old photographs.

Sam's eyes went comically wide as she stared at them in disbelieve. "SARAH, where did you get them from?"

Zane chuckled and pointed to the picture on the left. It showed an overweight man in his fifties with bad skin and the only facial hair being that of an overgrown moustache. "Physics?"

"Yeah." Sam shuddered visibly. "He looks even worse than I remember."

"And that's Mr Yummy on the right," Jo said, whistling in appreciation. "Even I'd have paid more attention in math with him as a teacher!"

"I know," Sam said, grinning from ear to ear. And the discolorations on her face gave her a rather dangerous look.

"Nice distraction, SARAH. But it still doesn't explain why you had secret GD information on your screen with no one but Sam present," Zane said.

"Because I was bored?" Sam offered before looking at her now empty plate in surprise. "Uh, where did all my food go?"

Jo chuckled. "You either finished it or Zane stole it. Maybe you should eat his pie in revenge."

Sam's eyes lit up at the idea. "I like the way you're thinking!"

Zane groaned and did the only thing he could think of to get and _keep_ their attention. He grabbed Jo's and Sam's dessert from the table and quickly moved away from the two women.

"Zane!" They cried in unison.

"I want answers," he said sternly. "As much as I like you, Sam, this was highly confidential stuff and SARAH can get in a lot of trouble for showing you that."

"Spoilsport," Sam grumbled, arms crossed in front of her. "Like I said, I was bored and SARAH was just helping out."

"And?" Zane prompted.

"And I kinda might have full access to Global Dynamics' files?"

"_What_!" Jo and Zane asked in unison. "How? Why?"

Sam shrugged her right shoulder. "I didn't realise this either until SARAH pointed it out. And the files you saw earlier weren't from GD. They were mine. I had to give the project away when it became clear I wouldn't have time for it myself. But I still kept my personal files and, while discussing wormhole theory with SARAH this morning, I had an idea and was working on it when you arrived."

"Whoa, slow down!" Zane stared at her in total astonishment. "You had to _ship off_ this project to GD? And wormhole theory?"

"I have a PhD in Theoretical Astrophysics?" Sam offered almost sheepishly. "I might even have written a book on wormhole theory in my spare time?"

That caused Zane to do something Jo didn't think he was capable off. He was giving off one of the best fish-impressions she had ever seen. Leaning closer to Sam, she said, "I think you've broken him."

"Sorry," Sam whispered back. "Any chance he's still under warranty? Maybe you can exchange him for an unbroken Zane?"

Jo couldn't help but laugh out loud. "So, you're a genius, right?"

"Sorry," Sam said, smiling apologetically.

"Hey, you're still fun to be around," Jo said, patting Sam's shoulder reassuringly. "That still doesn't explain why Carter thought I'd appreciate your job."

"Ha!" Zane punched the air and turned to them with a huge grin.

Sam and Jo raised their eyebrows in unison - though Sam winced when it pulled at the cut above her left brow - and looked expectantly at Zane. "Maybe he isn't as broken as we'd feared," Sam whispered to Jo who nodded in agreement. "Yup. I'm with you on this one."

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Zane asked but continued before either of them could answer. "Anyway, I've read your book! Well, I've read a book on wormhole theory by a US Air Force Major Sam Carter. But that's you, isn't it? It all makes sense. Why you'd have access to GD and why you and Jack hit it off so easily. You're related, right?"

"Yup, albeit distantly - and neither of us knew about it until we've met."

"Wait. You're with the Air Force? That's what Carter meant about me appreciating your job!" Jo exclaimed. "And a Major too, huh?"

Sam bit her lower lip. "Actually, I'm a Colonel now."

"Whoa! That's so cool!" Jo said, excitement oozing off of her.

"It also explains the full access to GD. We're getting quite a lot of projects from you guys," Zane added just as excited as Jo. He rubbed his hands in glee and said, "Oh man! Stark is going to flip when he finds out! He still thinks you aren't particularly bright!"

"Yeah," Jo said, "Doesn't that bother you?"

Sam shook her head. "Nope, not in the slightest. To be honest I like it and find it rather refreshing. For once I'm not having any responsibilities and have people look at me for solutions to the impossible. Right now I'm nothing but a tourist, having a good time."

"Oh come on! You _have_ to tell Stark! _Please_?"

Jo snickered at her boyfriend's hopeful look. "He just did it again."

"I know." Sam grinned at her. "Maybe he's becoming a good boy. You know, finishing his homework on time and doing whatever he's told. In other words-"

"Boring!" Jo finished in mock-horror.

"Ha ha. Very funny." Zane said as rolled his eyes at them.

"Yup." Sam and Jo agreed in unison. "And I'm still not going to tell Stark," Sam added. "Not now, anyway. I mean, there's so much fun to have by annoying him! That wouldn't work if he knew the truth. At least I don't think it would."

Zane sighed but nodded. "Okay, okay. I get your point. But I better be there when you finally do!"

Sam shook his outstretched hand and grinned. "Deal."

"So you have full access to GD but have never been there? And how come neither Dr Blake nor Dr Stark know about that? Both have been the head of GD at some point or other and you'd think they know everyone who has full access," Zane asked later, after they had devoured their desserts and were spread out comfortably on the couch.

"The full access probably comes from a few years back when I was heading our research and development department. We outsourced quite a few of our projects to GD at that time. Even now that I'm back at my old post I'm shipping off the odd project to Eureka. And we've certainly benefited from your discoveries as well. And no, my name doesn't appear on any of the projects. All you'll find are anonymised identification codes." Seeing the calculative look on Zane's face, she shook her head in amusement. "And don't even think about digging into my background. Trust me, it's not worth the trouble you'll get into."

"Who, me?" Zane asked innocently.

"Uh huh. You. Besides, you can always ask Henry about me."

"Henry?"

"Yep. We worked together a few years back. Imagine my surprise when I met him at the garage and realised just where Cassie had brought us to!" Sam chuckled fondly at the memory.

Jo only listened with half an ear to Zane and Sam while she worked through her own thoughts. Eventually coming to a decision, she interrupted them mid-sentence by asking, "Your injuries have nothing to do with science, do they? I've seen my share of battle injuries and yours look a hell of a lot like some of the ones I've seen."

Sam sighed. "All I can say is that I'm a soldier as much as I am a scientist. Whatever happened to me was part of my job." Sam smiled and added, "Trust me, it was worth it."

Jo considered her words for a while before a smile started to spread across her face. "Does that mean we can talk big shiny weapons?"

"And explosives. Don't forget the explosives!" Sam grinned. "I _love_ blowing stuff up."

oxoxoxo

Stark had decided against lunch at Café Diem. He had told Allison he was too busy and would just get something at GD's cafeteria and eat in front of his computer. While that was true he also wanted to avoid running into the same scene as the day before - a whole crowd of people gushing over the return of who had quickly become one of the town's favourite tourists.

Okay, he might have come to tolerate - and even like - Cassie. But she had shown intelligence and a quick wit in her retorts to him. Sam, on the other hand, seemed like a female Carter. And that was something he could really do without. After all, one Carter was more than enough as far as he was concerned.

But now it was evening and he didn't feel like cooking so take away from Café Diem it was. Besides, what were the chances of running into Carter and his new best friend?

He opened entered the cafe and groaned.

Apparently those chances were very high.

Once again the table in the corner was drawing a crowd. And once again he couldn't see Sam amongst them. Not that he minded. In fact he managed to weasel out of meeting her yesterday and hoped he could do the same again.

A short while later he smiled when Vincent put his dinner in front of him. "There you go. Enjoy."

"Thanks." Stark grabbed his food and stepped towards the exit.

Naturally, he bumped straight into Sam. They both stumbled but he quickly regained his balance. Out of reflex he grabbed Sam's arms to stabilise her, as she appeared to have big problems staying on her feet.

The whole incident didn't take longer than a seconds and Stark was more than ready to get on his way. But the moment he loosened his grip on Sam her fingers dug into his upper arms. He frowned and took a closer look at her. Not that he saw much as she was looking towards the floor, her head resting - or rather pressing - against his chest. But he heard her laboured breathing and remembered Vincent telling them about her being injured. Besides, the crutch now uselessly lying on the floor was a dead give-away too.

"Oh my! Is Sam okay?" Vincent asked, having had turned his back to them but having heard the crutch hitting the floor.

"Her fingers seem to work just fine," Stark replied sarcastically, though he didn't move even though her rapid breathing was starting to slow down again. Now all he needed was Carter to turn up.

"Sam! What happened?"

And there he was.

oxoxoxo

_A/N: Oops? No idea where the last part came from. That wasn't exactly planned. Guess we all (me included as I haven't written it yet) have to wait and see where that leads to! Anyway, Stark will learn about Sam (and I'm giggling every time I think of the scene, writing it is going to be fun!) but he'll be last. Wouldn't be fun otherwise, right? Actually, now that Zane and Jo know, there's only Allison left - unless you can think of someone else? Haven't really thought about Vincent, to be honest, then again, could he keep that information to himself? Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter! And thanks to all you lovely reviewers!_


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

"I'm fine."

Stark snorted. "Of course you are. That would explain why your fingers are still digging into my arms."

Sam immediately loosened her grip. Inwardly rolling his eyes, he tightened his hold on her elbows to give her more support. After all, having her fall down now would be rather embarrassing for him.

"Sam?" Jack asked again, his hand resting on her lower back.

"I'm fine," she repeated in a voice that, thankfully, wasn't as pain-laced as before. Finally lifting her head, she gave him a weak smile. "I was just testing Stark's bi- and triceps. Imagine my surprise when I found them to be quite well-formed."

"Now I know you're still out of it," Jack said, shaking his head slowly. "I think it's time to go home."

"Hey!" Sam and Stark exclaimed in unison - though for very different reasons.

Jack sighed in relief at Sam's indignation. Meanwhile Stark was staring at Sam's face. "Interesting colouring."

"Yup." Sam smirked at him. "Beats putting on make-up every morning _and_ it's a conversation starter. What more can you ask for?"

Jack shook his head in amusement and picked up her crutch to hand it back. "Do you think you can stand on your own?"

"_Pleeaase_," Sam said, rolling her eyes for effect, "I've mastered standing on my own at a very tender age." She grabbed her crutch and couldn't help but roll her eyes again when both Stark and Jack kept their hands on her. "I'm fine, really."

Jack tilted his head and studied her face. "You sure? 'Cause according to Cassie, _'I'm fine'_ can mean anything from _'I'm conscious, there's no major bleeding and all body parts are still attached.' _to_ 'I have a little headache.'_!"

Stark's eyes popped wide open at that comment but before he could say anything, Allison appeared next to them. "Sam? Are you okay? Vincent said you almost fell down?"

"Oh fer crying out loud!" Sam sighed in exasperation. "I'm okay, _really_. Stark and I accidentally bummed into each other and I lost my crutch, that's all."

"Don't forget my nicely formed bi- and triceps." Stark was quick to add.

"Yeah, well, I'm surprised your ego still fits into Café Diem after my unintentional ego-stroking," Sam said, her voice still showing some of the exasperation from earlier.

Ignoring the bickering, Allison asked, "Did you bump your ribs?"

"Come on, Allison..." Sam whined.

"Sam." Allison countered, eyebrows raised in a silent challenge. "I'm pretty sure you don't want to end up with another pneumothorax. You have several broken ribs; a bump could easily have moved one of them and have perforated your chest wall again."

"Broken ribs, huh?" Stark asked. He also figured she was stable enough now and removed his supporting hands from her elbows. "Impressive. What did you do?"

"I fell off of my office chair," Sam said absently, her focus being on Allison. "And I didn't bump my ribs but my leg. I swear."

"Did you break that too? Must have been some fall!" Stark said, the corners of his mouth twitching noticeably.

"Naw." Sam turned her head and gave him a toothy grin. "I landed on the broken glass that had jumped off my desk a moment earlier."

Stark raised his eyebrows. "Slice and dice?"

"Yup. Hence the crutch." Turning back to Allison, Sam added, "I'm really okay. My leg's still stinging a bit, but that's all."

Allison scrutinized her for a long moment before nodding. "Okay. But if you start having trouble breathing, you'll call me."

Sam sighed inwardly but nodded.

"Oh goody, time to hold hands and sing a happy song," Stark said in mock-cheerfulness. He took a pointed look at his watch. "Bummer! I'm sorry I can't join you in that but I've got to go. Hope you're not too disappointed."

Jack pressed his hands over his heart. "We're heartbroken."

Allison shook her head at their antics but wished Nathan goodbye. He'd almost reached the door when Sam called out to him. He stopped and looked back over his shoulder.

"Thanks."

He rolled his eyes again but gave a small nod before finally vanishing into the night.

"And we're going home too. There's a couch waiting with your name on it," Jack said, touching Sam's arm slightly.

Sam frowned. "What about dinner? I'm starving!"

"You need to rest your leg."

"It's been resting just fine all day," Sam replied petulantly. "Even here at Café Diem."

"Well, your food is ready," Vincent said from behind. "Do you want me to pack it up?"

"Yes."

"No."

Allison rolled her eyes at them. Children. "No," she said, looking Vincent in the eyes. Once he was gone, she held up her hands to stop any protests from the two people in front of her. "Sam is right, she can put up her leg here as well as at home. And Jack is right too, no matter what, Café Diem is not as comfortable as SARAH's furniture. So you're going to have dinner here and then head straight home where Sam will stay off her feet for the rest of the evening."

"But-"

"No buts. Go." Allison shook her head and made shooing motions with her hands.

She sighed when they turned and followed her orders, albeit both were grumbling.

"Children, huh?" Vincent said as he put her order in front of her. Allison smiled and nodded. "So, Sam's really okay?"

Allison shrugged her shoulders. "As far as I can tell. I don't know the exact extend of her injuries, only what she and Carter have told me, but she didn't seem to be in any more discomfort than when I've seen her last, so that's good. Besides, I'm pretty sure Carter, Zoe and Cassie will keep a close eye on her."

"True." Vincent nodded. Sam had been here the majority of the afternoon - and she'd never been alone. At the least Cassie or Zoe were with her at all times, making sure she had everything she needed. "Well, have a nice evening."

Allison nodded and, after giving Sam's table a final look, left the cafe.

oxoxoxo

"Stop scratching." Cassie pulled Sam's hand away from her brow.

"I wasn't-" Sam stopped mid-sentence when Cassie glared at her. "Whoa! You really practiced that one, huh?"

"Dunno what you're talking about."

"Uh huh." Sam nodded knowingly and patted the couch next to her. "Come on. I need a distraction from the itching stitches. Or maybe I should just remove them."

Cassie scrunched up her face at Sam's suggestion. "And how, pray tell, do you wanna do that? You can't even lift your left arm without flinching."

Sam poked out her tongue at Cassie, knowing that she was right.

"Maybe Dr Blake could be of assistance?" SARAH asked.

"You know what? The urge to scratch suddenly vanished," Sam said cheerfully.

Cassie chuckled and patted Sam's good leg. Looking upwards, she said, "Don't be upset SARAH, that's just Sam's way of saying that she's seen enough doctors for a while."

"Yeah, sorry SARAH. Now, any chance you got that show we've talked about earlier?"

"Yes Sam. Do you want to watch it now?"

Sam smiled brilliantly. "Yes, I'd love to!"

"Wait? What show?" Cassie asked, confusion written all over her face.

Sam just grinned and pointed towards the kitchen. "Popcorn first. And I promise you'll love it!"

oxoxoxo

"Carter! Wait!"

A smile spreading across his face, Jack stopped and turned around. "Why, Allison. Miss me?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "You wish. I just wanted to know how Sam is doing."

"Good." Jack smiled lopsidedly. "Bored. But Cassie and Zoe do their best to keep her entertained."

"That's good to hear." Allison watched him thoughtfully. "Are you heading home?"

"Yes." The grin on Jack's face grew even bigger. "Wanna join me?"

"Now that you're asking..."

Jack groaned but opened the passenger door for her. "You've planned that right from the start, haven't you?"

Allison just smiled. "Who? _Me_?"

oxoxoxo

"How come I've never seen that one before?" Cassie shook her head in disbelief.

"I know!" Sam looked mournfully at the empty bowl of popcorn. Then again, she was feeling slightly sick from the sheer amount they've eaten, so maybe it was for the better. "Vala introduced me to it."

Cassie giggled. "Did she? Let me guess, it was the combination of hot actors and the storyline reminding her of herself? And it'd explain why she started talking about space cowboys!"

"Yup, pretty much." Sam grinned. "She's got a point though, doesn't she?"

Cassie nodded. "Wanna watch another episode? Or maybe we should wait for Zoe? I bet she'd enjoy the show just as much. And for increased entertainment we can easily come up with comments that would make Jack squirm!"

"Thanks, Cassie. That's just what I wanted to hear," Jack said as he walked into the living room.

"Oops?" Cassie offered as she stood up. "When did you come in? Oh, hi Dr Blake." Next to her, Sam groaned quietly, making Cassie giggle and pat her arm reassuringly.

"SARAH opened the door to _make Jack squirm_," Jack replied carefully. "I don't want to know, do I?"

"Where'd be the fun in that?" Cassie smiled innocently. "Besides, we can't make you squirm without Zoe present. Now that would just be rude!"

"_Sa-am_?"

"_Ooh_, poor Jack. There's no need to whine," Sam said in mock-sympathy. "We were just watching a show Vala recommended and thought Zoe would like it too. You remember Vala, right?"

Unable to stop the blush - he still remembered her body pressing tightly against his and the state of his clothes once she'd let go of him - he groaned. "SARAH, whatever those two have been watching I don't want Zoe to see it. _Ever_."

"But Sheriff Carter, Firefly is a very entertaining television show. Why wouldn't you want Zoe to experience it?" SARAH asked, confusion evident in her voice.

Allison sighed dreamily. "Captain Mal Reynolds."

Sam and Cassie exchanged a quick look before they both started to giggle. "See, Jack? Even Dr Blake recommends it!"

Jack threw his hands up in despair. "Fine. Whatever. Can we eat lunch now?"

"Sure," Sam and Cassie said in unison. "Real food sounds great after all that popcorn," Sam added, getting ready to stand up.

"Actually," Allison said, looking pointedly at Carter and Cassie, "Why don't you two set the table while I chat with Sam?"

"Uh oh," Cassie said before getting up and joining Jack. She had seen the look Allison was giving Sam more often enough on her mom to know she was in doctor mode. "Well, Sam, have fun. I might even save you some food."

"Traitor!" Sam called after her, but Cassie was already gone. Putting on her best smile, she looked at the doctor. "Allison, how are you this fine day?"

Rolling her eyes, Allison sat down on the couch table, facing Sam. "You're going to make this difficult, aren't you?"

Sam did her best to look hurt. "_Who_? Me?"

Allison ignored her answer and asked, "How are you? Any ill effects from yesterday's run-in with Nathan?"

Sam sighed. "I already told you we accidentally bumped into each other, there's nothing else to it."

"Yes, I know." Allison nodded. "But Nathan told a different story. Apparently it took quite a while for you to recover."

"He just wants to play hero," Sam said dismissively, even though she knew Stark was right. It had taken her a while to get the pain under control and when she'd changed the bandage on her leg at night she'd seen why. "So, wanna stay for lunch? I'm sure there's enough for all of us."

"Nice try." Allison put her hands on Sam's shoulder, effectively preventing her from getting up. "But I'm a doctor and I'm not leaving until I'm convinced you're okay. Something, I have to admit, I should have done yesterday. Especially with a rib injury like yours."

"I'm fine!" Sam said, more insistently this time. And, to show her just that she meant it, she took an, albeit careful, deep breath. "See? We both know I couldn't have done that if I had punctured my lung again."

Allison just rolled her eyes. "Okay, I was wrong."

"See," Sam said triumphantly.

"I was wrong," Allison repeated, "You're an even worse patient than Carter. Must be a family thing, huh?" Taking advantage of Sam's surprise at her answer, Allison leaned forward and put her hands over Sam's ribs.

Frowning at what she felt, she lifted Sam's shirt and gasped in surprise. "That's not your average bandage."

"It's better?" Sam offered sheepishly.

Allison squinted at her, then carefully palpated Sam's leg. Huffing, she pulled out her cell phone and walked out of the room.

"Phew, that went well," Sam muttered. Using the opportunity, she slowly got up and went to join Cassie and Jack at the dining table.

"That was quick," Cassie said.

"Yeah, well, not thanks to you, missy. Leaving me behind like that," Sam said with a pout.

"What?" Cassie asked, looking all innocent. "_You_ were the one complaining about itchy stitches. I figured Dr Blake would happily remove them for you."

For the second time that day Sam poked out her tongue at Cassie before digging into her lunch which wasn't anything fancy but soup and salad.

Allison! Do you want some?" Jack asked a few minutes later. Sam looked up in time to her cell phone going off.

"I believe that is yours," Allison said, her eyebrows raised in challenge.

"Uh oh," Sam said as she looked at the caller ID. "Carter."

Allison flinched involuntarily. Knowing Sam's last name was Carter and hearing her say it turned out to be two very different things. Shaking off the surprise, she listened in into the rather one-sided conversation - just like everyone else - that mainly consisted of _'yes'_, several _'but'_ or '_but Caroline'_ and a lot of groaning on Sam's side and ended with a resigned _'fine'_.

"What's up?" Cassie asked, the corners of her mouth twitching suspiciously.

"Stop laughing," Sam growled.

Jack lifted his hand and asked, "Uh, anyone care to tell me what's going on? And who's Caroline?"

"Yes, Sam, what's going on?" Cassie asked sweetly, snickering when she received a glare for her efforts. Raising a questioning eyebrow at Allison, she half-asked, "Caroline is an acquaintance or maybe a friend of Dr Blake?"

Allison smiled at the young woman. "Both."

"And," Cassie continued rather dramatically, "She's also Sam's doctor."

oxoxoxo

_A/N: First of all, thanks for all the reviews! My muses are feeling rather smug right now. Also, thanks for answering my question! I know I didn't mention Fargo but I already had a plan for him. Then someone mentioned a scenario that would work with my plan and add another funny layer to the story so I'm most likely going to include that! Well, and I'm going to look up who it was so I can give her/him credit. LOL. _

_Now ... *hides at some unknown and undisclosed location* ... it's currently a couple of hours before the beginning of November. And that means NaNoWriMo. One month, 50000 words of a new story and none of it is fanfiction. However, on the way home from my personal weekend-ly write-in my muses told me one of my main character's dark secrets - when nobody's is looking he likes to dabble in fanfiction. So there's a chance he'll write a chapter or two while everyone else is sleeping. Let's keep our fingers crossed!_


	17. Chapter 17

_He pondered on it for another minute before opening another of his personal, password protected folders. Checking a final time on the other occupants of the room, he opened the file and quickly scanned over its content._

_Then he started to type, a slow smile playing along his lips._

**Chapter 17**

"Oh boy," Jack replied, looking cautiously from Sam to Allison and back. "And?"

"And I'm pretty sure Caroline asked Dr Blake to take a closer look at Sam," Cassie replied. "Right?"

Sam huffed but didn't answer. Instead she turned to Allison, "How come you talked to her anyway?"

"Because I'm just that good." Allison stole a piece of cake from Jack's plate, quickly moving out of his reach when he complained loudly, trying to get it pack. Turning more serious, she add, "Caroline, Dr Lam, told me a couple of days ago that she was using two different GD medical aids on a patient. When I checked your ribs earlier I recognised the bandage. Checking on your leg was more of a formality as I knew these two were exactly the things Caroline had mentioned. All I had to do was give her a call and ask if her patient's name happened to be Sam Carter."

"Sneaky," Cassie commented with a smirk. "I like it. And I bet Dr Lam wasn't too pleased, huh?"

"Did you know you were wearing GD stuff?" Jack asked Sam, waving in the general direction of her ribs.

Sam smiled lopsidedly. "Maybe?"

"And you knew Allison was a medical doctor, right?" Jack clarified. "So you must have known she would recognise the aids should she ever get to see them?"

Sam gave him the most innocent look she could muster.

"Caroline certainly wasn't too impressed. Apparently Sam forgot to mention that she was coming to Eureka or Caroline would have sent her to me in the first place," Allison said, amused by Sam's squirming. Caroline had told her as much; Sam would avoid medical attention if she could get away with it. "Speaking of which, Sam? I believe we've got a date. I'll even let you chose between here and our infirmary."

"That's _so_ nice of you."

"I know." Allison grinned, unfazed by Sam's protests. "And just because I'm so nice, I'll let you finish lunch first."

Sam glared at her before turning her attention to Jack. "You are in big trouble, mister."

"What?" Jack all but screeched. "Why? I didn't do anything."

"Uh huh." Sam pushed her plate away and looked up a bit, "SARAH, just how did Dr Blake arrive today?"

"Dr Blake arrived with Sheriff Carter, Sam."

Sam grinned in triumph at him. "Thanks, SARAH. I believe Jack is thinking about the benefits of cold showers but doesn't quite know how to ask you for them. Do you think you can arrange for at least three cold showers a week for him? We'd all be grateful."

"Of course. It would be my pleasure."

"No! SARAH, don't listen to Sam. She's high on pain meds and mad at me. For no reasons too, I might add. So no cold showers for me, okay?"

Jack's request was met with silence. Sam smiled sweetly while Allison and Cassie giggled at his shocked expression.

"_Sa-am_?" he whined.

She got up and slowly made her ways to the stairs. "Sorry Jack. I'd love to help you but I've got an appointment and I don't want to leave the good doctor waiting. Allison, you coming?"

"Oh man, Sam can be pretty mean, huh?" Jack asked once only he and Cassie were left in the room.

"Yup." Cassie nodded, eyeing the leftover dessert. "Damn, that looks good but I don't think Sam would appreciate me helping her out with that."

"Go ahead," Jack said, wriggling his eyebrows at her. "I'm sure she'll understand."

Snickering, she shook her head, "Naw, you just want her to be mad at me so she'll undo the cold showers for you. Nice try though."

"Damn."

oxoxoxo

"Do you need help with the shirt?" Allison asked as soon as they were in the guestroom.

Sam shook her head. "I'll manage. Especially if I can convince you that none of this is necessary. I'm feeling just fine. Honestly."

Allison chuckled. "Caroline warned me you'd try something like this. Why don't we start from the top? I believe the stitches above your eyebrow are ready to come out?"

"Okay." Sam carefully lowered herself into one of the two comfy chairs.

"_Okay_? What, no complaints?" Allison asked, eyebrows raised in amusement. "Let me guess, it itches?"

"Like hell."

Allison chuckled then went to work. Once she was finished with the stitches, she helped Sam out of her shirt and started palpating the area around her broken ribs. She connected the bandage to her PDA and took some readings. "Looks good."

"I've told you so," Sam said, wincing as she moved too quickly. "I'm fine. Though I have to admit your little vest here is pretty neat and helpful. I really like the cooling function."

Allison studied her for a moment. "These are not your first broken ribs?"

Sam shook her head. "It was my first punctured lung, though. And that's something I really could have done without."

"How did it happen?" Allison asked. "Somehow I don't believe you fell off your office chair like you've told Nathan."

"I quite like that story." Sam finished buttoning up her shirt and gave Allison an expectant look. "Are we done now? I've got dessert waiting for me and am afraid it might get lost if I leave it alone for too long."

Allison smirked knowingly at Sam. "Nice try but I'm afraid it has to wait a bit longer. I want to have a look at your leg first."

"It's obviously still attached, so all is well," Sam said with a little whine in her voice. Of course she would never admit to whining. If anything, she'd blame it on her pain meds.

"That may well be but I haven't forgotten yesterday's little run-in with Nathan and Caroline was worried when I mentioned it to her," Allison said.

"Huh, your conversation with her wasn't _that_ long!" Sam complained but opened the zipper going along the side of her sweatpants. Leaning back into her chair again, she closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable gasp.

She felt Allison removing the GD device designed to taking over some of the injured muscles' functions, followed by the bandage above the injured side.

"Ouch. How the hell did that happen?" Allison looked at her, shock written all over her face. "That isn't just a little scratch! In fact, it looks rather serious."

Sam gave a weak smile and said, "It looks worse than it is? Once the stitches are out it will look even better. And it's almost on top of an old scar, so there won't be much of a difference to before."

Allison snorted. "Yeah right. This is a total mess." She carefully probed around the injured area, repeatedly shaking her head and muttering to herself. Eventually she looked up, trying to catch Sam's eyes. Once she got her attention, she pointed to a particularly vivid bruised part. "This looks newer than the rest."

Sam didn't need to look to know what Allison meant. "Because it only happened yesterday?"

Allison shook her head in exasperation. "Sam, the hematoma is big. It must cause you quite some discomfort."

"Okay, okay," Sam said, blushing a little. "I might have played with the thought of calling Caroline to see if something needed to be done about it."

Allison prodded the site in question again, apologizing when Sam gasped as she hit a particularly sensitive spot. Then she shook her head. "I'm sorry. But I need to have a closer look and I can't do that here. You'll have to come to the infirmary after all. I'm sure I can get you a guess pass for GD to get you in."

"Ah, well," Sam said, her face almost bright red, "Don't you have something like an offside infirmary? You know, in case someone without the required clearance needs urgent medical help?"

"We do but like I said, I don't think I'll have a problem getting you into GD. Although Nathan might not be too happy about it."

Sam watched as Allison redressed her wound. Only once she was finished she spoke up again, "Maybe I don't want to go to GD?"

This got Allison's attention. "Why not?"

Sam sighed theatrically. "Because, even though I've never been there I have full access already."

Allison stared at her with wide eyes. "_What_? How?"

"How did you meet Caroline? I mean, surely, you haven't just met at a conference and decided to cooperate." Sam asked, both to make a point but also out of curiosity.

"You're with the Air Force. The same classified program Caroline is working for." It was more of a statement than a question so Sam just nodded. "A few years ago I was asked to give a presentation on medical advances we've made that could potentially be used on the battle field or increase recovery time for the seriously injured. They weren't bothered about the costs, just wanted to know what would theoretically be available. There was only a small group of people present, including Caroline's predecessor, and we had a long discussion afterwards. I came back to Eureka with new ideas, guidelines on what was needed and a new research contract to pay for it. The Air Force has tested quite a few of our medical advances since then."

Sam nodded knowingly. "Like the two devices I'm wearing."

"Yes." Allison frowned. "Though I don't understand why you're having ordinary stitches then. We've more advanced techniques at our hands and I know Caroline has been field testing them for a while."

Sam smiled wryly. "We've tried but nothing works as well as old-fashioned stitches for me. I was involved in a chemical spill a while back and ever since my body chemistry has been out of whack."

"What kind of chemical spill?" Allison asked curiously.

"Sorry," Sam shrugged her right shoulder apologetically. "I'm afraid you don't have a high enough clearance for that."

"My clearance is-"

"-really not high enough. I mean, what do you really know about Caroline's job other than it's highly classified?"

Allison opened her mouth to answer but quickly closed it again. Sam was right, after all. Since becoming friends with Caroline they'd often joked about working so closely together without knowing anything about the other projects going on at their respective workplaces.

"And before you ask, I have full access to GD because quite a few of your projects have been on my desk first." This time Sam's smile was more sheepishly than anything else. "I guess I'm not quite as dumb as I like Stark to believe. I've got a PhD in Theoretical Astrophysics, Zane has apparently read my book on wormhole theory and Henry and I've been working together on a project a few years back."

"Samantha Carter is also a Colonel with the US Air Force," SARAH said, surprising both of them.

"Wow." Allison stood up and started pacing, working through all the new information she just received. "But why didn't you say something? I mean, Nathan-"

Sam chuckled. "Nathan is fun to play with." Sam stopped Allison as she passed her in her pacing again by grabbing her arm. "Allison, you know how it is. You've got a demanding job yourself. Any crisis and people look up to you to solve it, right? I think our jobs are quite similar in this respect. But right now I'm on vacation. Something I've promised Cassie a long time ago but simply never had the time to do."

Sam waited for Allison to nod in understanding before she continued. "And now that I've finally managed to take more than a few days off have I realised how much fun leaning back and not worrying about anything is, how much fun being silly is. As for Nathan treating me like an idiot? I'm not exactly discouraging him from doing so, am I? In fact, I revel in it. It's so refreshingly different from my normal life. And that's also the reason why I don't want to go to GD with you. I want to stay on vacation and not be pulled into one problem or another. Cause I'm sure once the higher ups realise where I am they'll find a reason for me to look into one project or another." Sam looked at her leg, sighing tiredly. "I already had to interrupt our vacation once and this resulted in an abrupt end of our road trip. I don't want to disappoint Cassie even more."

Allison nodded slowly. "This is a battle injury. You were shot with some sort of weapon or involved in an explosion."

Sam smiled lopsidedly. "That's classified, sorry."

"Does Cassie now?"

"She knows enough," Sam said, evading a direct answer. Then her eyes opened wide as she realised something. "Allison, remember earlier you said you've met with Caroline's predecessor?"

"Yes, why?"

"Do you remember her name?" Sam asked, holding her breath.

Allison frowned. "I think she was Air Force, unlike Caroline. That's it! Her name was Major Janet Fraiser. I believe she was ... killed in action?" Allison knelt down next to Sam and put a hand on her arm. "Did you know her!"

Sam bit her lower lip, fighting to keep the tears in her eyes from spilling over. "Yeah. She was my best friend - and Cassie's mom."

oxoxoxo

_Nick yelped and almost fell off of his chair when Buddy appeared out of nowhere and licked his arm. He took a deep breath, saved what he had written so far and quickly closed the document. Looking at his watch he realised he'd been lost in the story for the better part of an hour. He yawned widely while willing his heart to slow down. Only when he was sure his voice wouldn't show any evidence from the scare his dog had given him, did he whisper, "Hey Buddy, what'cha up to?"_

_oxoxoxo_

_A/N: Muhahahahaha! Nick, my Nanowrimo MC has a secret love for fanfiction. And, of course, he doesn't want anyone to find out. He'd probably never hear the end of it! So now that I've found a way to integrate a couple of chapters in my Nano-novel there might actually be more updates in November. Probably shorter ones, but updates nevertheless. _

_Anyway, thanks again for all your reviews! My ego loves them very much. LOL. I'm pretty sure Fargo will make an appearance next chapter. I'll just have to convince my muses it would be a great idea. _


	18. Chapter 18

**CHAPTER 18**

"Allison, are you here?"

"Oh boy." Sam looked at Allison who had just put the brace back onto her leg. "Just what I needed."

The doctor finished zipping up the side of Sam's trousers and covered her legs with a blanket. "Rest for a bit. I'll see what Nathan wants."

Sam wanted to protest, she'd done nothing but rest this day after all, but Allison had already left the room. When she came back a few minutes later she wasn't alone. Luckily Sam had closed her eyes as soon as Allison had left so now she could pretend she was asleep and hope he'd leave again. Her leg hurt after Allison finished torturing it so she really wasn't in the mood to talk to him. Or so she thought. However, as soon as she could hear their footsteps closing in on her, she couldn't wait to verbally spar with him.

"I told you she's resting." Sam could almost hear Allison roll her eyes at Stark.

"Her lips just twitched. She's not asleep. Hey Sam."

She didn't move but said, "I'm very much asleep. I'm even having a nightmare with you in the starring role."

"Really." There was definite amusement in his voice and Sam imagined him standing near the end of her bed, feet shoulder width apart and his arms crossed in front of his chest.

"Yup. I'm stuck in a room with you ... and your ego is using up all the air."

Sam heard Allison chuckle and, after realising she could simply blame it on the pain meds she was on, she gave in to the temptation and opened her eyes. Stark was exactly where she'd expected him, smirking at her. "What can I say," he said, "My ego deserves all the oxygen. It belongs to a genius, after all."

"Hm." Sam tapped her chin with her finger and frowned. "Then why does the ego hang out with you? When it has a genius to play with, I mean?"

"Ha. Very funny."

Allison snorted as she finished putting her things away. Naturally, Sam latched onto her snort almost immediately. "Look! Allison agrees with you that it's funny!"

Nathan narrowed his eyes at Sam who promptly broke out into a huge grin. She turned to Allison and said, "I love pain-meds. They make me feel so _smart_!"

This time Allison laughed out loud while Nathan just rolled his eyes at her. "Yeah. Sure."

Sam's grin remained in place. "See? Now even Stark agrees with me!"

Allison shook her head at both Sam and Nathan and their antics. Then she touched Nathan's arm. "Why don't you head back to GD without me? I want Sam to stay here for at least another half hour, so I'll find someone else to give me a lift back."

Unable to resist Sam sing-songed, "Allison likes me more than you-hoo. Allison likes me more than you!"

Allison gave Nathan another push towards the door when her cell phone went off. Neither Sam nor Nathan tried to pretend not to listen in. The moment she put the phone away, Sam gave Allison her most innocent smile. "I'm feeling great. There's no need for me to stay here any longer. So why don't you just let me go so you can go back to work immediately. I promise I'll head straight over to Café Diem; there'll be tons of people to watch over me."

"No. You need to stay off of that leg a little longer," Allison said, giving her a stern look.

"But that sounded awfully important!" Sam all but whined. She really didn't like that calculating look in Allison's eyes. "Don't you need to go? Like now? You know, I wouldn't want to keep you from work. Me and my faithful crutch can manage on our own. I even promise to stay put for another thirty minutes."

Allison tilted her head, narrowing her eyes at Sam. Eventually she nodded. "I'll be right back. I want neither of you to move. Understood?" She watched Sam and Nathan eye each other for a moment before she turned and left.

The moment she had left the room, Sam asked, "Have you mutilated anyone today yet? Or are you still working on the details?"

"One, it was an accident. Two, you run into me, not the other way around," Stark replied, unfazed by her question.

"She used sharp pointy thingies on my leg!" Sam complained, although in a whisper so Allison wouldn't hear her. "Allison looked far too happy while using them. She really shouldn't be allowed near needles."

This time Stark smirked, having seen the mischievous glint in Sam's eyes. "That's why I make sure to not need medical help when she's around."

"Huh. Guess the self-professed genius does come in handy from time to time," Sam said, grinning back at him.

Stark chuckled, then nodded towards her thigh. "Everything okay?"

"Yep," she replied, adding conspiratorially, "Allison might have something to do with it. Just don't tell her that."

He rolled his eyes but nodded. He wouldn't admit it, but he was glad that she didn't seem worse for wear. The strength with which she'd gripped his arms the previous night had surprised him quite a bit. And Sam might be annoying but at least she provided some entertainment.

"I see you haven't killed each other yet," Allison said as she entered the room again. "Good."

Sam put on a big grin, blinked a couple of times in Stark's direction, and said, "We're best buddies now."

Stark snorted and shook his head at her. "She's most definitely on drugs."

"And the good stuff too!" Sam quickly added.

Allison simply ignored their bickering. It just sounded like Nathan and Carter normally did. Then she smiled inwardly. It was Nathan and Carter all over again. Literally.

"Right." Allison picked up a small patch and her PDA and went over to Sam who took one look before narrowing her eyes at Allison.

"What's that?"

Nathan, now curious as well, took a closer look too and barely prevented himself from gasping in surprise. "Allison! You can't just use the chip on anyone!"

"Chip?" Sam grew even more suspicious now. "What kind of chip?"

"I just wanted to make sure there're no ill-effects from that little episode last night," Allison said. "You won't stay here overnight so I need another way to monitor you. Besides, your doctor said it was worth a shot."

"I sure as hell won't stay here," Sam said, brow furrowed deeply. However, if Caroline thought the chip was a good idea, then she could hardly protest. Especially not with Nathan around.

"Exactly." Allison sighed theatrically. "Now hold still."

"Ow!" Sam complained when Allison attached the chip on her neck. "What was that?"

"I've told you. A patch containing a monitoring chip," Allison said absently as she studied something on her PDA. She gave Sam a surprised look, then concentrated back on her PDA. "Okay. I've adjusted the baseline reading. You're good to go."

"Really?" Sam asked, looking hopeful.

"In half an hour. You will stay right where you are until Cassie comes to collect you. Understood?"

Sam scrunched up her nose, then muttered, "Huh. Do you have to pass a course on glaring in medical school or something?"

"Yes. And we have competitions at medical conferences too." Allison smirked while patting Sam's good leg. "Now rest. And I'll know if you get off that bed before the time is up." She waved the PDA at Sam for good measure. Turning to Nathan, Allison asked, "You coming?"

"But ... Allison! You can't just!" He was pointing at Sam's neck that now sported a GD diagnostic patch.

"I can and we really need to go. Besides, remember where she's currently staying? And Sam isn't going anywhere with it anyway." She pushed Nathan out of the door before giving Sam one last warning look. "Stay put."

Sam grumbled, more for Allison's benefit than her own, really, before leaning back into the cushions and closing her eyes, a small smile playing along her lips. She might need to work on the whole staying incognito thing, but at least everyone agreed to keep Stark out of the loop, giving her the opportunity to have her fun with him and his ego.

After all, laughter _was_ said to be the best medicine.

oxoxoxo

"Oh man, Sam's work's amazing!" Zane grinned widely as he met up with Jo outside his lab at GD. "I used her approach on the calculations I was trying to figure out and after a bit of fiddling around it all made sense!"

"Whatever makes you happy." Jo shrugged, knowing his interest in Sam was purely work and friendship related. In fact, she was pretty sure she detected a bit of hero worship in his voice. Not that he'd admit to it. Not easily anyway. Maybe if she put on the right amount of pressure in just the right place...

"Jo?" he asked, interrupting her train of thought. "What's going through that beautiful head of yours?"

"You'd really like to know, huh?" She wriggled her eyebrows and leaned in for a quick kiss. Zane nodded. "Guess it's a shame I can't tell you, then."

"Jo-Jo, come on!" Zane whined, pulling her in for another kiss. "You know you want to tell me."

She shook her head. "I guess you'll have to continue to daydream about your Samantha Carter, Astrophysicist extraordinaire! And her motorcycle."

Before he could answer - or protest his innocence as it was - they were Fargo-mobbed.

"What! You know Dr Samantha Carter! Tall, blond, beautiful? And probably-" Fargo stopped short and, narrowing his eyes, looked around the long GD corridors nervously. Only once he was convinced that they were alone, did he continue in barely a whisper, "And probably smarter than Dr Stark?"

Zane and Jo looked at each other in surprise and then turned to Fargo in one smooth, synchronized motion. "You know Sam?"

He sighed, a dreamy expression on his face, and hugged his ever present clip-board to his chest. "She was giving a rare lecture at my university. Then I've met her at area 51 during our bi-annual bowling competition. Well, she told us off or messing around but she's just so _smart_! She was like the head of some super-duper secret project nobody knew anything about."

"Fargo!"

He gave them a sheepish look. "Sorry. Guess I've drifted off a bit."

"A bit?" Zane asked, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "You were practically drooling, Fargo. Drooling!"

"So what?" Fargo stuck his bottom lip out and turned to leave. He'd barely made a few steps when he stopped again and turned around with his mouth wide open. They could almost hear the penny drop. "Dr Carter is _in_ Eureka! Oh my god! I need to change into something more professional!"

"Oh boy." Jo groaned, as did Zane.

Fargo didn't hear them, though, as he was muttering to himself. A few moments later he stopped and his expressions changed faster the speed of light, going through different emotions until hyper-excitement took a hold. "That's so-"

"Fargo!"

He stopped mid-sentence, mouth still open and waiting to form the next word and stared at Jo. He knew that tone of voice. It usually meant trouble, lots of trouble. And not just for anyone but for him. _Especially_ for him.

"You're drooling again," Zane stated helpfully, earning himself a glare from his girlfriend. He lifted his hands as if to ask 'What?'.

Jo ignored him and concentrated on Fargo. "You are not going to tell _anyone_."

"_What_?"

Jo winced and Zane covered his ears at Fargo's high-pitched screech. "Geez! Are you sure your dangly bits are below your waistline and not above it?"

Fargo sputtered, but didn't manage to say anything intelligible. Jo, on the other hand, slapped Zane's arm to scold him while barely managing to keep a semi-straight face. "Fargo," Jo repeated. "You cannot tell anyone about Sam."

"But-"

"No buts." Jo shook her head. "I mean it. Sam is here on vacation. _And_ she's a good friend."

Fargo hung his head, clearly depressed. "But I want to talk to her about so many things!"

Jo raised a single eyebrow. "No talking to her either." She glared at him when he showed the smallest sign of another protest. "I mean it, Fargo. Or I'll do very, very bad things to you."

Zane whistled in the background and promptly found himself at the receiving end of Jo's glare. "Not. One. Word." He lifted his hand in an appeasing gesture and nodded. He even managed to keep his grin in check until Jo was concentrating back on Fargo.

"And stop grinning," Jo said without turning back to Zane. "Fargo. Most of all, not a single word to Stark - or the very, very bad things I've mentioned earlier? They will make what I'm going to do to you seem like a stroll in the park. Got it?"

Fargo actually whimpered. He was well aware that everyone thought he was bad at keeping secrets. That wouldn't be such a problem if it weren't also true. And when it came to Nathan Stark, this little problem of his was even worse. Dr Stark somehow needed to only look at him to know that there was something Fargo was keeping from him.

"Fargo?" Jo asked again, her voice still hard as steel. "Do we have a deal?"

What choice did he have? So he nodded. The moment he did so, Jo's expression relaxed and she was smiling at him. Patting his shoulder, she said, "Good boy."

His smile was just about ready to crawl out of its hiding place again when they heard footsteps around the corner. Moments later, the voices accompanying said footsteps became louder and Fargo paled. He did a damn good impression of a deer in the headlights before turning and running, no, _sprinting_, in the opposite direction.

Zane and Jo looked at each other and chuckled. "What are the chances Stark will have trouble finding Fargo for a while?"

Taking her hand, Zane pulled her toward the elevator. Passing Stark and Allison, they nodded politely before breaking into laughter the moment they were out of earshot.

oxoxoxo

_A/N: So, the dark secret of my NaNoWriMo novel's MC - writing fanfiction - has now been discovered. Poor guy. He's probably never hearing the end of it! Anyway, thanks for reading and reviewing. And a special thanks to __**dreameralways**__ who suggested the Fargo sub-plot. I always wanted him to have met Sam before but the little twist of Jo threatening him not to tell anyone? That wasn't part of my Fargo plans - but my muses immediately latched onto it!_

_Also, the Crossing Over Awards? Holy Moly! Five nominations in four categories and four Awards? _And_ most nominations for a story (Dawning Familariy) _and_ third for Best Crossover Story? I am absolutely honoured and just ... well, giddy with happiness :). So thanks to everyone who voted for my stories! He-Muse and She-Muse are very happy right now. _


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

"Whoa!" Jack Carter said, stumbling a few steps back into the restroom. "Fargo! Watch where you're going, will you?"

"Sorry!" he whispered urgently while peeking around the corner of the entrance door. Apparently satisfied, he pushed, or tried to anyway, Jack out of the room so he could close the door properly.

Jack sighed theatrically, staying put and therefore keeping the door open. "What button did you push this time?"

"Hey!" Fargo glared at him, crossing his arms in front of him in protest. "I didn't push any buttons!"

"Then why are you hiding? And from whom?"

Fargo peeked out from around the door again. "You haven't seen me if you come across Dr Stark, okay?"

Jack watched Fargo vanish into one of the cubicles. Shaking his head, he finally stepped out of the door completely.

"Carter! Wait!"

Jack stopped short. First Fargo was hiding from Stark and now the man himself appeared. This was getting more and more interesting. "What?" He nodded towards the door now a couple of meters behind him. "I'm so not going to help you with that one."

"_What_?" Stark looked rather confused for a moment before rolling his eyes. "Thanks Carter. But I think I can manage myself."

"Good." Jack smirked and turned around again. "See ya later."

"Carter." The sigh in Stark's voice made Jack mentally high-five himself. "I just wanted to know if you've seen Fargo recently."

"Sure, why? What did he do?"

"Nothing," Stark said. "He hasn't caused any accidents, he's finishing every job I give him before it's due and puts it on my desk or sends me the files. But I haven't seen him for the second day running."

"_Aww_," Jack said, smiling innocently. "Are you saying you're missing Fargo? That's so ... _cute_!"

Stark squinted then turned on the spot, storming off again. Jack chuckled quietly to himself as he walked away in the opposite direction. Maybe Jo knew what was going on with Fargo and Stark.

oxoxoxo

Sam was working on one of her pet projects, one of those that didn't involve any technologies that'd make SARAH suspicious, and she was enjoying a nice cup of coffee while doing so. She was trying to figure out a particularly difficult problem - and almost had a grasp on the solution - when the phone rang.

"Damn!" Sam muttered, glaring at the screen in front of her. The ringing cell phone not only interrupted her concentration but also sent the solution to the problem back into hiding in her subconscious mind. "What?" she grumbled into the phone.

"Colonel Carter."

Sam immediately sat up straight and winced at the movement. There was amusement in his voice but that didn't mean she wasn't embarrassed at not having checked the caller ID prior to answering.

"Sir."

"I'm not interrupting something, am I?"

Sam smirked, even though he couldn't see it. "Well, sir..."

"Carter!"

She chuckled quietly. "Sorry, sir. I was trying to figure out some equations and was that close to the solution when, you know."

"Ah. My timing was impeccable, then. You're on medical leave. You're supposed to relax, remember?"

Sam rolled her eyes. "Did you need something, sir? Because, you know, I'm on medical leave..."

"Smooth, Carter. Smooth." There was a chuckle on the other end of the phone. "Anyway, according to my neat little calendar I'm supposed to meet with General Mansfield in a town called Eureka in a couple of days."

Sam groaned. Loudly.

"Carter?"

"I suppose that can't wait until I'm back on duty?" She asked, knowing his answer already. "Or maybe you've got somewhere else to be? A little invasion maybe?"

This time he sighed. "I'm sorry but it seems I've used up all my wildcards and excuses. It was made very clear to me that I'm expected to show my face in geek central sooner rather than later." When the phone stayed silent, he added, "Carter, you still there?"

"Shh." She ordered absently. Then, remembering who she was talking to, she blushed brightly, "Sorry, sir. I'm thinking."

Jack shook his head in amusement. Then he opened a drawer and pulled out a yo-yo. He figured he might just as well have fun while he listened to his favourite Colonel think.

Meanwhile, across the country, Sam was making plans. She discarded bits and pieces and replaced them with new ones until she was satisfied. And just in time too, because just as she was finished Jack spoke up again.

"Carter? Are you done thinking yet? I don't want you to overexert yourself. You're still on medical leave, remember?"

Her eyes lit up in amusement as she chuckled at the little whine in his voice. "Messed up another yo-yo, sir?" There was a growl and a couple of giggles escaped her before she could stop herself.

"No giggling."

"I blame the medication," she replied almost absently. "Now, may I make some requests regarding your visit to Eureka, sir?"

oxoxoxo

Jack Carter glared at the computer in front of her. Once again it wasn't doing what he told it to do. Or maybe it was just hungry and reports where like chocolate to it. Before he could contemplate further on the mysterious disappearance of yet another of his reports he heard steps coming towards him and he looked up, the corners of his mouth turning upward when he saw the grin on his Deputy's face.

"Jo! Looks like someone had a great lunch."

She smirked at him. "Sorry Carter. I don't ... lunch and tell. How's the paperwork going?"

"Slowly." He frowned at the monitor. "And I swear this computer has a mind of its own."

"A mind that doesn't like you?" Jo asked in amusement.

Jack huffed but gave up on the computer for the moment. Instead he got up and sat on the edge of his desk. "Do you have any idea what's going on between Fargo and Stark?"

Jo cocked an eyebrow. "Why?"

He shrugged, then told her about the incident at GD that morning. Jo started to chuckle half-way through and, once he was finished, told him about her very own meeting with Fargo.

"So he knows Sam?"

"Yup. I'd say he's quite the fan-boy when it comes to her. Actually, why don't we ask her if she remembers him?" Jo asked.

Jack snorted. "Would _you_ forget Fargo?"

Jo stopped short, then shook her head.

"Exactly." Jack said.

Her head tilted, she watched him for a couple of seconds. "You're going to ask her tonight, aren't you?"

He grinned widely. "Oh absolutely!"

oxoxoxo

Nathan Stark sighed deeply before entering Café Diem. Fargo was evading him for the third day in a row now and he was still trying to figure out if this was a good or a bad thing. After all, there still were no Fargo-type accidents and all work was done on time. Still, Stark liked to be in control, and not knowing what caused Fargo's sudden change in behaviour certainly did _not_ count as being in control.

"Dr Stark, what can I do for you?" Vincent asked, interrupting Stark's train of thought.

"Coffee." He turned around and looked over the customers of Café Diem. And sure enough Fargo was nowhere to be seen. Their tourists however, were seated in what everyone now considered to be their corner. "Tourists, ha," he mumbled to himself. All they did was sitting around in here, dancing on his nerves and making friends with everyone in here.

"There you go," Vincent said as he put a steaming mug in front of him. "Anything else?"

Stark was still watching Sam and her little band of merry friends. He nodded slowly, more to himself than to answer Vincent's question. Eventually turning around and focusing on Vincent, he smiled winningly. "I'll have your Special of the Day."

Vincent smiled happily. "One Special coming right up."

"Vincent," Stark said before Vincent could vanish again. "Have you seen Fargo recently?"

"Sure, he had dinner for most days as usual." He frowned. "Actually, lately he phoned in his order rather than coming by himself. Why? Is something wrong?"

"No." Stark smiled, shaking his head slightly. "No. Everything is fine."

He waited until Vincent was gone before he grabbed his coffee and walked over to Sam's table. It was time to find out just how touristy their tourists really were. Smirking when the conversation stopped as he neared the table, he grabbed a chair from the next one and sat down at the only empty space left.

"Stark," Carter said in way of greeting and Stark's grin grew even more. The sheriff clearly didn't want him here.

"Sheriff Carter, how are you this fine evening?"

Cassie and Zoe looked at each other before Cassie shrugged her shoulders and turned to Stark. "Someone overdosed on happy pills."

Sam, Jo and Zane snorted at both Cassie's comment and the surprised-turned-amused look Stark was sending her. "Jack probably busted Stark's normal dealer and the new one gave him the wrong stuff," Sam added in a dead-serious tone. Then, just because she could, she leaned over to Jack and kissed his cheek. Wriggling her eyebrows she continued in a rather suggestive voice, "Good job. We'll celebrate later tonight."

While Stark clearly wasn't quite sure what to make of the latest turn of events everyone else around the table was fighting hard not to laugh out loud. The, albeit fleetingly, expression of confusion on Nathan Stark's face was a truly rare occasion and needed to be appreciated accordingly.

Still keeping a straight face, Sam gave Stark a sweet and innocent smile. "So, how was your day? Done anything interesting? In fact, what are you doing all day? Surely you can't stand in front of a mirror for hours on end, appreciating your good looks."

Stark, having found his balance again, rolled his eyes at her. "I could tell you but then I'd have to shoot you."

"And Jack would have to throw you into a mirror-less jail cell," Sam said dismissively. "You wouldn't risk that."

"She's got you there, pal," Jack said, grinning at him.

Stark sighed exaggeratedly. "Fine. You win."

Sam and Jack high-fived each other, causing Sam to wince when she moved a bit too quickly. "Note to self," she muttered, "Move slowly."

Stark raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment on it. Instead he leaned back and asked casually, "You know, we don't have many tourists around here. What's there to do all day?"

"Gossiping," Sam said immediately.

"Eating," Vincent said just as he put Stark's food in front of him.

"Driving through the country side," Cassie said.

"Reading," Sam added, pulling a romance novel of all things from under the table. "And annoying the hell out of you."

"Mocking," Zane said, smirk firmly in place.

"And of course there's always the skinny dipping," Cassie added with a straight face. Sam's face lit up immediately. "Yeah, that was fun."

Vincent, who had stayed to listen in a bit, Nathan, Jack and Zane stared at them with various degrees of open mouths.

"I so have to try this," Zoe said, causing her dad to almost choke on his own saliva.

"_Zo-e_!"

"What?" she asked innocently, shrugging her shoulders before joining into the other women's giggles.

"Men are so predictable," Jo said in-between laughter.

"What?" Zane said immediately. "Tell me when and where and I'll happily skinny dip with you."

"See?" Jo said. "Totally predictable."

"Nathan?" They all turned to Allison who'd walked up to them while they were still laughing. And, judging by the tone of voice, their entertainment wasn't finished yet. Unless you were Stark, of course.

"Allison." He put on his most charming smile. "Join me for dinner? Vincent's Special is excellent tonight."

"What about General Mansfield? He and this other guy will be here tomorrow morning and they'll expect full reports on everything!"

"Relax." Nathan stood up, moved his chair and pulled up another chair and table. "The reports are all done and it won't hurt to have a proper meal before going through them again."

"Never thought I'd say this," Sam said from her corner, "but he's right. I always work better with a full belly."

Cassie snorted next to her, mumbling quiet enough for only Sam and Zoe on either side of her to hear, "Yeah, when you remember to eat."

"Come on, Allison," Sam continued, ignoring Cassie completely, "You don't wanna miss out on us mocking Stark, right?"

Finding herself confronted with several sets of pleading eyes - including Jack and Nathan which in itself was something she never thought she'd see - she caved in and sat down. Looking at both Nathan and Jack, she said, "You better figure out who's going to pay for my dinner."

"He is," they said in unison, pointing their fingers at each other. Allison felt some of the tension leave her body as she watched them glare at each other. And she laughed out loud when they continued once again in unison, "Okay, I am."

Still chuckling, she nodded at Sam, "You're right. They're very entertaining."

"I know." Sam grinned in return, patting Jack's arm when he gave her a hurt look.

Sometime later, they'd just ordered a round of desserts, Cassie's eyes suddenly opened up comically wide. Everyone at the table was still trying to figure out what was going on when she got up and, seeing no easy way out of the corner, climbed over the backrest of the booth she and Sam started their afternoon in all by themselves, and hurried towards the door.

"Uncle Jack!" she all but screamed, hugging him tightly.

oxoxoxo

_A/N: Has anyone found December yet? I've just been told it's the New Year - Happy New Year! - but I honestly can't remember doing anything in December (that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it). Hopefully I can go back to a more regular writing schedule now... Anyway, looks like my muses figured Jack O'Neill needed to appear. Hope you don't mind. _


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Stark leaned back in his chair and watched Cassie just like everyone else at the table, although his mind probably went a slightly different direction. Great, he thought. Here comes another one. Another Jack. Another idiot. And this one couldn't even manage to keep his hair, his _grey_ hair, from sticking out in all directions.

"Miss me?" Jack O'Neill asked, kissing Cassie on her cheek.

She rolled her eyes at him before dragging him over to the counter. "Vincent, this is my Uncle Jack. He loves dessert, particularly pie."

Vincent's eyes lit up in excitement. Not only was he about to make another customer happy, but the chances of more entertainment from the table in the corner just rose several fold. "I've got apple, pecan and cherry pie."

Cassie snorted when she saw Jack frown in deep concentration. "Better bring one of each. And coffee."

"Black, two sugar," Jack added, holding up three fingers out of Cassie's field of view.

Vincent smiled, though inwardly he was laughing out loud as, unbeknownst to Jack, Cassie was holding up just one finger. "Pie and coffee will be right up."

Cassie pulled Jack over to their table, grinning like she'd just won the lottery. She brought another chair, putting it on the table Stark had moved towards them earlier. Plopping down unceremoniously, she pointed to the empty space next to Sam and grinned. He was General O'Neill, he would find a way to get to the empty space.

Jack raised his eyebrows at her but she didn't say anything else. His hands buried in the pockets of his combat-style trousers, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet, he smiled at everyone at the table in general but Sam in particular. "Hi, I'm Jack."

"And here are your pies and your coffee," Vincent said cheerfully, holding out a plate with three generous slices on them.

Jack took a sniff and sighed in pleasure. "Hi, my name is Jack," he repeated. "And I'm addicted to pie."

"Hallelujah!" Cassie said. Both she and Sam broke out laughing. Jack raised his eyebrows at Sam and she stopped almost immediately, though she was still smiling enough to light up the room. "Hi," she said.

"In case you haven't noticed," Cassie said, casually having a small piece of Jack's cherry pie, "Sam likes Jack."

"No, _really_?" Zoe asked.

"Yeah," Zane said with his smirk firmly in place, "I'd never have guessed."

Jo patted his cheek and laughed at his protests. "That's why we're telling you."

Stark snorted. "So Sam likes Jack. Which one?"

Sam winked at her boyfriend before putting her arm around her cousin. "Why, both of course!" Then she patted the empty seat next to her and smirked at Jack. "Are you coming? Or are you waiting for Cassie to finish your pies?"

His eyes popped wide open when he noticed the suspiciously non-triangle shaped pie slices. "Hey!"

"What?" Cassie asked, giving him her most charming smile. "I'm just making sure they haven't gone off in the last couple of minutes."

Jack poked out his tongue at his honorary niece before taking the plate and, after a short look around, took Cassie's former place by climbing in the same way she'd climbed out earlier. Once seated, he had only eyes for Sam. He first gave her a thorough once over before he locked eyes with her - and didn't move.

After a minute or so Zoe leaned closer to Cassie, not caring that she entered Stark's personal space in doing so, and stage-whispered, "What are they doing?"

Cassie took one look at Sam and Jack and grinned. "Talking."

"Their lips aren't moving," Zoe pointed out quiet reasonably. By now the other Jack, Jo, Zane and Allison were leaning in closer to Cassie as well while Stark just rolled his eyes at them. Of course, that didn't mean he wasn't listening too.

"I know. It's one of their things." Cassie shrugged her shoulders. "See the way the corners of their mouths are moving slightly upwards and that tiny twinkle in Sam's eyes? Means they're neither telling dirty jokes nor is it foreplay. Looks like boring 'how was your day?' stuff to me."

"Exactly," Jack said without losing eye-contact with Sam, "We'll save the good stuff for when we're alone with you."

"Eww! Uncle Ja-_ack_!"

"Yes, Cassandra?" He grinned at her then tucked into the first piece of pie. "Hmm. Pecan."

Sam chuckled at their antics before officially introducing Jack to everyone at the table, somehow forgetting to mention both his surname and his job title. A fact Stark picked up on almost immediately. "So, Jack,"

"Yes?" Both Jacks said in unison.

Stark glared at them while everyone else chuckled. "I wasn't talking to you, Carter."

"Ouch!" Once again both Jacks answered at the same time. "That hurt," the sheriff added, prompting Sam to pat his head a couple of times.

Allison, though enjoying the show, took up Nathan's line of questioning. "I think what Nathan wanted to know is what you are doing for a living?"

Jack O'Neill gave her a boyish grin. "Do you want to know what I'm doing for a living too?"

She smiled, shaking her head in exasperation. "Fine. So, Jack, what kind of job do you have?"

"I push lots of paper around my desk. I even answer the phone sometimes," Jack said, his voice completely serious.

"He also likes to annoy people," Cassie added.

"And create a mess or two," Sam piped up though she blushed almost immediately. Still, she held out her hand to him and just like that they were lost in a silent conversation again.

Zane nudged Cassie. "They talking again?"

"Yep," Cassie answered, letting the p pop nicely. "Still no sex, though."

Zane chuckled. "And what exactly _are_ they saying?"

"Sorry," Cassie shrugged her shoulder, "I'm not exactly fluent in Sam-and-Jack speak. But Sam might ask him to hand over the mess he created in his office recently."

That got everyone's attention. "Seriously?" Jo asked and Cassie nodded. Then she nodded towards the two lovebirds just as Jack was pulling something from his pocket. However, with his hand closed, all they could do was guess at what he was holding.

"Come on," Sam said, eyes twinkling with amusement. "Hand it over and I'll let you get back to your pies."

With much huffing and grumbling Jack finally opened his hand and let the content drop into her open one.

"A yo-yo?" Stark asked with raised eyebrows. "You work with yo-yos?"

Sam snorted. "More like messing them up." To underline her point, she held up the yo-yo for everyone to see. The string attached was a mess of knots and loops that the knots had created. "I still haven't figured out how he does it."

Cassie raised a single eyebrow and said, "It's his version of flirting." There was more than one snort at that comment. "What? It's true. I have it on good authority that even Sam thinks so."

Now it was Jack's turn to raise his eyebrows. Sam blushed slightly and even though she tried to hide that fact by hiding her face behind her tea mug as she took a sip, she wasn't fooling anyone. Even Stark smiled a little at the picture she gave.

"Now that my secrets are out," Jack said, "What are you doing all day? Apart from eating these great pies?"

"I've got that!" Jack Carter almost shouted. At the other Jack's questioning look he said, "They can be a bit wordy sometimes. Anyway," He pointed at each of them. "Zoe, my sweet and innocent daughter who won't even think about dating until she's well into her thirties."

"Keep dreaming."

Ignoring Zoe's comment, the older Jack nodded in understanding. "Cassie's the same."

"I thought so. Anyway, Jo, my very capable deputy. Zane, chief troublemaker."

"Thanks," they said in unison before high-fiving each other.

Jack's voice became a tad softer when he continued. "Dr Allison Blake, doctor and, well, she's a bit of paper pusher too, I guess."

"I'm afraid he's right," Allison said, a smile playing along her lips.

The softness replaced by mirth, Jack finished off his version of the introductions, "And Nathan Stark, desk jockey and keeper of all of Eureka's egos. Though how they fit in next to his is still a mystery to me."

"It's _Dr_ Nathan Stark." He took a sip of his coffee before adding casually, "And Sheriff Carter is just jealous."

"Of what? Your ego?" Jack Carter waved his hand dismissively. "I'm afraid my head isn't big enough for it. You know, too much brain, not enough empty space."

Nathan sighed theatrically while the rest of the table laughed loudly. He had to admit that he'd kind of asked for that one. "Well done, Carter. Now we all know how funny you are."

"Naw, they knew that already. Right?"

Zoe nodded, patting her dad's arm. "Sure, dad."

Jack O'Neill watched in amusement. He leaned over to Sam and stage-whispered, "That's a pretty good show you've got here."

"I know," she returned just as quietly - or loudly - as him. "I'm just missing the popcorn sometimes."

He raised his eyebrows for a second then he whistled. Loudly. Vincent rushed over and Jack smiled at him. "Love the pies. Any chance you have some good ol' popcorn lying around? The evening show here is pretty funny but misses that last ... umpf."

"Popcorn, huh?" Vincent asked.

Sam and Jack nodded simultaneously.

"Sugared."

"Salted."

Vincent shook his head and chuckled. "I'll bring both."

Allison stood up once Vincent had vanished back into the kitchen. "As much fun as this is I'll have to go."

"Aw. Come on, Allison. We're just warming up here!" Jack Carter said, the expression on his face halfway there to pleading.

"Sorry, Carter. I have to get Kevin from his friend's place and then do some more work."

Nathan stood up and offered his arm. "Want me to come with you? Compare notes for tomorrow?"

"That's lame," O'Neill said. "Even Danny-boy comes up with better lines. While having amnesia."

Sam and Cassie snorted. "Sorry, but Daniel doesn't need lines. He's picking up women just by walking past them."

Jack opened his mouth then closed it again. They had a point after all. "It was still a lame pick-up line."

"Actually," Allison said, the corners of her mouth twitching upwards. "We do have work to do. We have some ... important paper pushers come by tomorrow."

"Ah," O'Neill said. "Have fun, then. Guess it's more popcorn for me, then."

"Keep dreaming," Cassie said, taking the bowl of salted popcorn from Vincent. "Or work on acquiring a taste for sweet popcorn so you can share with Sam."

"Hey!"

"You just had three slices of pie. You're going to make yourself sick by adding popcorn to the mix." Sam giggled at the shock on his face. Then she leaned in for a not too innocent kiss. "Feel better?"

"Hmm."

Cassie, who had moved seats and was sitting next to Zoe again, nudged her friend. "Aren't they just sweet?"

Zoe offered the bowl of popcorn to Jo and nodded. "Good thing the popcorn is salted or the cavities would be queuing up, ready to move in."

They spent another hour at Café Diem, their corner of the cafe filled with giggles and outright laughter. It was Sam becoming a little bit quieter that had them call it a night. Jack, _her_ Jack, noticed it first and after some evading on her side she finally admitted that she was long overdue another dose of pain meds. That made all of them realise that she was still injured and needed the rest. It took a few more minutes to finish off their drinks but then everyone was on their way.

Zane went with Jo after convincing her to take him home with her while Jack went with, well, Jack. Once back at the house, and after some more SARAH appreciation on Jack's side, Cassie offered her share of the guest bed to Jack, already making plans for a pyjama party with Zoe. Although, once Sam and Jack made their way up to the room, she couldn't help but call after them, reminding them of the monitoring patch on Sam's neck and how they would all know if they were up to some naughty stuff when Allison was starting to call SARAH to enquire about Sam's health.

Amidst the giggles of Cassie and Zoe and a rather disturbed looking Sheriff, Sam and Jack finally reached their room - and some much needed alone time. Jack needed more time to make sure Sam was really going to be okay and Sam, well, she didn't exactly mind sharing her bed with him either. Even if her injuries - but _not_ the monitoring device - were preventing them from doing anything more than careful cuddling.

oxoxoxoxo

Vincent whistled. "Looking good, Sam. Had a good night, huh?"

The smile on Sam's face grew even further. Next to her, Cassie was rolling her eyes good naturedly. "I've slept like a baby."

He chuckled, nodding towards the window. "And where's _your_ Jack? I saw the sheriff drop you off but there was nobody else in the car."

"Yeah," Allison said from behind them. "I'm kinda wondering myself. And good morning. Vincent is right. You _are_ looking much better."

Sam turned around and grinned at her. "Good morning to you too. And thanks. What can I say? SARAH's mattress in combination with a Jack-shaped pillow does wonders for your health."

Allison chuckled and gratefully accepted the coffee Vincent put in front of her. She lightly tapped the monitoring patch on Sam's neck and said, "The readings certainly look good. We can probably remove it soon."

"Yes!"

"So," Allison said after she stopped giggling at her enthusiastic reaction. "What is your Jack doing?"

"Swearing. Grumbling. Glaring."

"Cassie," Sam said, her voice may have sounded rebuking but her eyes were twinkling with amusement. "He's still at Carter's place. He has to go over some paperwork. So he'll be glaring at the files, swear at whoever used too many words to describe everything and grumble at the unfairness of it all."

"See?" Cassie smirked, accepting her Vincepresso and lifting it in a toast. "Told ya so."

"Well," Allison looked at her watch and sighed. She lifted her briefcase for them to see and said, "I'll better get over these files once more before my meeting. Have a nice day and _rest_. Just because the readings look good doesn't mean you can start to run around, overexerting yourself again, okay?"

"I'll make sure of it," Cassie said, smiling sweetly at Allison and ignoring Sam's protests.

oxoxoxoxo

An hour later Sam was engrossed in the paperback she was reading. Cassie had decided Sam was spending too much time in front of her laptop and had insisted they left it with SARAH. And to prevent her from stealing Cassie's laptop, Cassie had brought a book for herself as well. And while Sam was quickly going through the pages, Cassie was more into watching the people around her.

Therefore she didn't miss the door opening - and some military brass entering. She also didn't miss Allison taking a deep breath before quickly getting up and greeting the General.

Cassie glanced at Sam, pondered for a moment, then decided it'd be a shame if Sam would miss it. And in turn, if Cassie would miss Sam's reactions and also if there were nobody to giggle with about the whole situation later on.

"Sam," she whispered, nudging Sam to get her attention. "Look."

It took a couple of seconds but once she had Sam's attention, she just pointed towards Allison and the General next to her, then leaned back, ready to watch the show.

"Oh boy," Sam whispered. "That's General Mansfield."

Cassie raised an amused eyebrow. "Duh! Uncle Jack said he'd be meeting with him. And I believe Allison mentioned him yesterday too."

"But I thought they'd be meeting at Global Dynamics!" Sam shuffled around a bit, trying to hide from Mansfield but, at the same time, keep an eye on him. "We've met before and I don't want him to see me!"

"And there's Uncle Jack. He looks quite good in his uniform, doesn't he?" Cassie asked, then giggled when Sam glared at her and whispered for her to be quiet.

oxoxoxoxo

_A/N: Thanks for your reviews! What a great beginning to a new year. Glad you like another Jack in Eureka and I hope it's halfway clear from the situation which one is speaking... Next chapter should be up in a week or so._


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

"General Mansfield, it's good to see you." Allison shook the offered hand and smiled. "Dr Stark is already at GD and will be joining us there."

The general nodded and glanced around the cafe. "Good. General O'Neill should be here any minute. Have you two met before?"

Allison shook her head. Of course she knew who he was in regards to GD's contracts but she'd never heard his name before. This had made getting more information on him more or less impossible. "I understand he's with the part of the Air Force we have several contracts with?"

"That is correct." He waited till she was seated before sitting down himself. "Although I have to warn you, he was reluctant to come to Eureka. I've been trying for quite some time to get him here."

"Then we'll just have to make sure he'll enjoy his trip," Allison said, her tone pleasant while she was already coming up with some idea on how to do just that.

"And there he is." General Mansfield's head snapped up and looked towards the door. He sighed. "Right behind Sheriff Carter."

Allison stood up and turned around towards the door. Her mouth dropped open and she openly stared at the two newcomers. They were standing side by side, grinning and waving in her direction. "Jack!"

"Morning, Allison," they said in unison and Allison shook her head in an effort to clear the cobwebs.

Mansfield watched them, eyebrows drawn together in a frown. "I thought you haven't met before?"

"Last night." O'Neill said with a smile, "I had the pleasure to dine in the presence of Dr Blake." Next to him, Jack Carter coughed. "And others," O'Neill added. "Vincent is the master of all pies."

"And as master of all pies I've made you a snack-box with a variety of them for later," Vincent said, having stepped up to the table in just the right moment. He put down Jack's coffee to go and the small box. "Enjoy, General."

"Call me Jack please," he replied with a smile. "General makes me sound so official."

Vincent stood up taller and nodded before he turned and left. Well, stepped back far enough to be out of the way but close enough to hear every word.

Allison smiled softly. "You've just made his day."

O'Neill shrugged his shoulders. "He brought me pie."

General Mansfield sighed inwardly. He was missing something and, knowing Jack O'Neill, it was something big. He scanned the room again and almost spit out the coffee he'd just taken a sip of. He turned to O'Neill, knowing he wouldn't have missed his reaction, and raised his eyebrows. The man, he had to give it to him, didn't react at all. He kept on smiling and listening to Dr Blake scolding him for not introducing himself properly last night.

oxoxoxoxo

From the moment Cassie pointed out the two generals, Sam hid behind her book, only sneaking the occasional look in their direction. She smiled when her Jack made eye-contact, if only briefly, the moment he entered the cafe. And she almost laughed out loud at Allison's surprise at seeing Jack all dressed up.

Now she could almost see the wheels turning as Allison made the connections. Sure enough, a few moments later she was faced with a raised eyebrow from her and Sam grinned back, shrugging her right shoulder in innocence.

She was still grinning when she suddenly found herself looking directly into the face of General Mansfield. Sam winced, not from pain but from embarrassment. She'd just let herself get caught. Jack would probably never let her forget about it either.

"What's wrong?" Cassie asked, her brows furrowed.

"Nothing. And everything." Sam sighed and put the book down. "General Mansfield just recognised me."

"No more incognito Sam, huh?"

"Nope." Sam slowly got up and picked up her crutch. "Though it's not like there were many people left not knowing who I was."

Cassie giggled. "Yeah, but the _one_ person left will probably be the most shocked by the truth."

"Yup." Sam winked at her. "That's why I think today's the perfect day to check out GD myself. I wouldn't want to miss his face after learning that little titbit after all."

oxoxoxoxo

Allison, though keeping most of her attention on the two generals, also kept an eye on Sam. She still didn't know if she was miffed or amused at her for not introducing General O'Neill properly the night before. As she was still watching her, she noticed her getting up first. She sent her a questioning look but Sam pretended to not have seen it.

As Sam was getting closer, slowly manoeuvring herself around with the help of her crutch, Allison could see her biting her lower lip. Sam gave her a tiny wave before stopping and saluting the two generals.

"At ease," O'Neill said automatically, getting up and offering her his chair. When she started to protest, he said, "Sit."

"Yes, sir." She avoided Allison's eyes and said, "General Mansfield, how are you?"

"Shouldn't I be the one asking this question, colonel? I'm not the one who was recently shot."

Sam waved her hand dismissively. "I'm fine, sir. GD makes good protective gear."

Allison swallowed hard. After all, she'd seen Sam's injuries and knew just how strong their protective gear was. At the same time she'd never seen any gunshot wounds looking like Sam's, protective gear or not. Whatever she'd been shot with was deadly. Very deadly. Sure, Sam had told her at the time she was working for the Air Force but assuming she was shot and hearing it were still two pretty different things.

General Mansfield nodded. "That's good to hear. Now, what do you think of Global Dynamics' operation here?"

"I've never been there, sir," Sam answered. "Although Dr Blake offered me a tour once I've told her who I was."

"Colonel Carter is still on medical leave," O'Neill said, giving Mansfield a pointed look.

"Yes, but ... just how many of your projects have found their way here?" Mansfield asked in astonishment.

Sam shrugged her shoulders. "A few, sir. I simply never had the time to come here before. Even my current stay started off by accident."

Jack Carter, who'd until now watched the conversation with a huge grin on his face, put an arm around Sam's shoulder and gave her a gently squeeze. "What can I say, General. The women are the smart ones in my family."

General Mansfield's eyebrows raced up to have an emergency meeting with his hairline. "Wait, _family_?"

Jack O'Neill gave him a companionable pat on the shoulder before waving his hand from one Carter to the other. "It explains a lot though, doesn't it?"

Mansfield sighed. "You're really related to the sheriff?"

"Yes sir. We're distant cousins. Though we didn't know or haven't met until a few weeks ago."

Mansfield shook his head, willing the starting headache away. "Of course you are," he muttered. And just like that the position of Sheriff Carter became more secure. Not that there were any current thoughts of removing him from his office, he was good at it after all, but sometimes, sometimes when he became especially annoying, Mansfield dreamt of firing him.

"Problems?" O'Neill asked, amusement showing in his eyes. He'd spent more than enough time with General Mansfield and heard enough about Sam's cousin to have a pretty good idea of what was going through the General's mind.

oxoxoxoxo

Jo pulled out her cell phone and chuckled. She'd just received a text from the sheriff.

_GD rotunda, 20 minutes. Bring a camera._

Oh she would. And not only that, she'd bring someone else. Opening her contacts list, she pressed the correct number and waited for the connection to establish.

"Zane."

oxoxoxoxo

In the end Sam didn't put up much of a fight about coming to GD with them. Not only was General Mansfield too excited about her being here, but, as she'd pointed out earlier to Cassie, her cover was blown. Truly and completely blown. So she figured she might just as well be there when one Dr Nathan Stark learned the truth. And, after Allison had assured everyone that it should be okay as long as Sam stayed put and wasn't going on the grand tour with them, O'Neill had finally agreed too.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Jack asked, glancing in her direction. "I could always turn around and drive you back to Café Diem."

She smiled at him. "I'm fine, sir. Really."

"We're alone. You're on medical leave so we're just Sam and Jack. Okay?"

In answer Sam put her hand on his knee and he could practically feel her relax into the seat of the car. He gave her hand a quick squeeze before concentrating back on driving. "Nice place."

"You'll have to ask Vincent if you want to know if there're any good fishing spots around. In fact, you'll have to ask Vincent no matter what you want to know."

"Ah." Jack gave her a quick smile. "Café Diem isn't the place for secret conversations then."

"Nope." Sam chuckled. "Which makes me wonder why Vincent hasn't already figured out who I am."

They spent the rest of the drive in companionable silence, following Allison's car. Once they reached GD Jack shut off the engine and turned towards her. "Ready to kick some ass?"

"I just hope Stark's face will be worth it."

Jack tilted his head. "How good is he really?"

"Very. He doesn't know about us but we briefly considered him for the Atlantis mission. Believe it or not but we figured McKay had the better suited personality for it. And after spending time with both I know that we've made the right decision."

He gave her a sceptical look. "Really?"

She nodded. "Their ego is equally big but Rodney always thinks of himself first. If something is too dangerous to do he'll tell everyone about it. Loudly. At the same time he'd do anything to ensure his own survival."

Jack nodded in understanding. "And if he survives the others will too."

"Yes." Sam grinned at him, then pointed out the window. "They're waiting for us, sir."

Jack sighed but opened his door and, after Sam had joined him, made his way over to General Mansfield, Allison and Sheriff Carter.

oxoxoxoxo

Nathan sighed. Once again Fargo was nowhere to be found. Sure, everything was prepared for their guests but it would have been nice to have him on standby should anything else be needed. He'd even briefly considered calling for Larry Haberman but that would have meant to admit that he couldn't keep track of his own people. And that simply wouldn't do.

So he stood in the rotunda, waiting for Allison, General Mansfield and their surprise guest.

Of course, the first person to enter was none other than the Sheriff.

"If I wouldn't know any better I would say you look a little bit lost," Carter said in way of greeting. "Where's Fargo?"

Stark barely moved a muscle. "He's running an errand."

"Uh huh." Jack stopped next to Stark, even going as far as mimicking his position. Arms crossed in front of his chest, feet shoulder width apart. "That's not what I have heard."

Stark immediately narrowed his eyes. Was it possible Carter knew what was going on with Fargo? And if so, how was he going to get the information out of him? Preferably without him noticing?

Jack chuckled and shook his head. "Oh, I'm _soo_ not going to tell you."

Stark was so busy glaring at him that he didn't notice their new guest until she was standing next to the sheriff, a wide grin on her face. "Morning, Stark. Nice little hut you've got here." The others had been held up at the security gate but the General had told her to go ahead.

"Sam! How?" He stared at her open-mouthed, shaking his head as he tried to figure out how she'd managed to enter one of the most secure compounds of the country. "Carter," he growled, "did you-?"

"Oh no," Jack held up his hands in a defensive motion. "I've nothing to do with Sam getting into your little fortress. She did that all on her own."

Grabbing the sheriff's arm, he whispered urgently, "Accompany her out, make sure she doesn't touch anything. I'll deal with security later. We've got important visitors coming in today that I have to concentrate on now."

"_Ooh_! Like VIPs?" Sam asked, batting her eyelashes at Stark. The fresh scar above her brow making it look rather comical. "Think I could stay for an autograph?"

"What!" Stark all but spluttered. She wasn't serious, was she?

"Problems?" General Mansfield asked, having come to a stop in front of Stark.

Nathan jumped a little, having been too focused on Sam to, for the second time this morning, notice someone else enter. Like General Mansfield and Allison who was standing right next to him. "No. Sheriff Carter was just going to leave."

Jack Carter wasn't even thinking about moving. And the only effect Stark's glare had was on the corners of his mouth - they twitched suspiciously before moving upwards.

"Carter!" Stark hissed.

"Yes?" Sam and Jack answered in unison.

"What!" Stark's eyes went unnaturally white as he looked from one to the other. "Carter?"

"Yes?" they answered once again. Then, as if noticing the confusion on his face for the first time, Sam gave a little chuckle before shuffling closer to the sheriff and leaning into him. "What can I say; we've hit it off right from the start. Sometimes it's all you need."

Stark's voice went up several notches. "You are ... _married_? What about Jack_, _the_ other _Jack?"

oxoxoxoxo

_A/N: Thanks for the lovely reviews! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter. And I'm truly sorry about this ending, but after I wrote it the next chapter title magically appeared and I had to stop right here and then. Though you have to admit, it's a pretty perfect ending, right? _


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

"Who? Me?" Jack O'Neill stepped out from behind General Mansfield, smirking at Stark.

Stark shook his head very, _very_ slowly. He even pinched himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming. Jack, _Uncle_ Jack as Cassie had called him yesterday, was standing in front of him looking quiet at home in his General's uniform; a uniform that was adorned with even more award ribbons than General Mansfield's. His brain still trying to catch up with everything, he asked, "Who the hell made you a General?"

"Thank you!" Jack O'Neill sighed theatrically. "I'm asking that myself on a regular basis."

"Knees." Sam said matter of fact.

"There's that," O'Neill answered, looking down at the offending body parts. "And retirement doesn't stick as good anymore as it used too."

"You've retired?" Jack Carter asked, his voice full of curiosity.

"Twice," O'Neill answered, holding up three fingers. "Guess the Air Force just likes my style."

Sam snorted next to him, quietly, though everyone heard it. "Carter."

She blushed slightly. "Sorry, sir."

"_Sir_?" Stark closed his eyes for a moment, willing the ever growing headache away. Not that it was listening.

"I assume Colonel Carter didn't introduce herself, then?" General Mansfield asked, lips twitching in amusement.

Stark sighed. "Colonel?"

"Air Force," Sam replied, grinning at him. "Guess I've never mentioned that in your presence."

Nathan raised his eyebrows.

"I knew," Sheriff Carter said, his arm raised slightly. "So does Zoe. And SARAH."

"Me too." Allison shrugged her shoulders. "As do Jo and Zane."

"And Henry," Sam added, causing a few questioning looks coming her way.

With each name, Stark's eyes became bigger and bigger. How could that bit of information have slipped past him? Still, just because she was with the Air Force didn't mean she could just walk into Global Dynamics without raising any questions. He was just about to ask about that when he finally caught sight of Fargo stepping out from behind one of the columns in the rotunda.

oxoxo

"What's up?" Zane asked as he met Jo at the entrance to his lab. "And yes, I've got the camera right here."

Jo grinned and kissed his cheek. "Rotunda," she checked her watch. "In five minutes. Carter didn't say why but I'm pretty sure it has something to do with Sam and Stark."

Zane smirked and put his arm around her shoulder. "We better get moving then."

When they reached the rotunda Stark stood already in the middle, looking as if he was waiting for somebody. Exchanging a grin, Zane nodded towards a small niche. It allowed them to stay mostly out of side while having a good view on Stark.

Jo nudged Zane when the Sheriff entered and went straight for him.

"He looks rather pleased with himself, doesn't he?" she asked. Zane nodded, a smirk prominent on his face, before he pulled out his camera and got it ready. And it was just in time to capture the expression of shock on Stark's face when Sam appeared. It was the first picture of many.

Their little corner was filled with snickers and more than once did they have to cover their mouths to avoid being discovered due to loud laughter. And a few minutes into the show Jo almost lost it when she caught sight of Fargo hiding behind a nearby column. She had to fight so hard not to laugh out loud that she couldn't tell Zane what was going on. But, following the direction of her pointed finger, it didn't take him long to figure it out anyway.

"Wow," he whispered. "Fargo's almost vibrating with excitement."

"I wonder why."

Both jumped at the whispered comment from behind them.

"Henry!" Jo slapped his arm in good measure. "That wasn't funny."

He rubbed his arm where Jo had hit him but kept grinning. "Sure it was. Now what am I missing?"

Jo grabbed the camera from Zane and shot a couple of picture of Fargo. "Zane loves to hear himself talking, he can bring you up to date."

"Hey!"

"What?" Jo smiled innocently, then gave him a quick kiss. "You can even use all the big words I don't understand."

Henry nodded towards the middle of the rotunda. "Let me guess. Stark's getting an unexpected surprise or two?"

They both nodded.

"Yeah. And ... _wow_!" Jo stopped short before pointing towards General Mansfield - and the man stepping out of his shadow. "Is that-?"

"-Jack!" Zane finished for her. "Nice uniform."

"No kidding." Jo shook her head in amusement. "This is even better than I thought."

oxoxo

Fargo almost peed himself when he saw none other than Colonel Samantha Carter step into the rotunda. Knowing General Mansfield was coming by today, he'd decided to stay close to Dr Stark in case he needed him _without_ staying close enough for Stark to notice him.

And now it was paying off.

As he was listening into their conversation he realised Stark still didn't know who he was talking to. So, no matter how much he wanted to, Fargo couldn't just jump out from his hiding place and worship at the feet of one of his heroes. But he really hoped it was only a matter of time before he could.

And a little time later his time had come.

Dr Stark knew.

Samantha Carter wasn't just anyone but a Colonel with the United States Air Force.

Making sure his clothes were in order - he didn't really feel like repeating that open fly incident from a few months ago - he stepped out from behind the column.

oxoxo

Although she hadn't said much, Allison was enjoying herself. And, if she wasn't mistaken, General Mansfield was having a great time too. Today was the first time she'd seen a little mischievous side in the usual far too earnest General and it made him so much more approachable.

In contrast, Jack, or General O'Neill as she should call him, was almost his complete opposite. So far she'd seen nothing but mischievousness and amusement in him. Though, intellectually, she knew that couldn't be all that was to him, she had a hard time imagining Jack O'Neill as a hard and serious man who had climbed the ranks of the Air Force. But she also saw the way General Mansfield treated him. Though technically outranking him, Mansfield showed more than just a little respect for O'Neill.

Well, if nothing else, it was going to be an interesting day. She just hoped Nathan wouldn't have a heart attack before it was over.

He was still missing a teeny tiny detail after all.

Smiling at that thought, she figured it was time to take a more active part in their conversation again.

"Generals, shall we go to the conference room? I'm sure the Colonel would appreciate it."

Nathan looked at her as if she'd just grown a second head. "The _Colonel_ would appreciate it?"

"Yes. Doctor's orders."

Sam pulled a face. "I'm fine, really. Standing around a bit won't kill me."

"Dr Blake is right," General Mansfield said. "You were shot and critically injured only a short while ago, you should rest whenever possible."

"Yes, sir," Sam grumbled and looked at Allison for directions. Seeing the dark look Sam was giving her, Allison couldn't help but smile and shake her head. Caroline Lam had been right, Sam wasn't your typical patient, trying to milk any injury as long as possible.

Meanwhile Stark's eyebrows rose even further. "You were _shot_?"

Sam shrugged her good shoulder and, remembering what she'd told him a couple of days ago, said, "Fell off my office chair, got shot, same difference."

Before Stark could even process the new information, there was a bit of a flash of colour and suddenly none other than Fargo was standing in front of him.

No. Not him. It seemed like Fargo hadn't even noticed him. Instead he was staring at Sam.

Carter.

Colonel Carter.

And he was grinning like an idiot, drool pooling at the corner of his open mouth.

"Fa-" he started but was quickly interrupted by his elusive assistant.

"Dr Carter! Oh my god! I can't believe you're here! This is _so_ cool! Welcome to Global Dynamics! I can't believe you're here! How are you? Can I get you something? Coffee? Tea? Show you around?" Fargo said without breathing. Then, pushing a book under her nose, he added, "Can I have your autograph?"

"Down, Fargo." Jack Carter said, barely containing his laughter. He grabbed the back of Fargo's shirt and pulled him back a bit. "And now breathe."

Sam, biting the inside of her cheeks to keep from laughing, both at Fargo's babbling and at Stark's reaction to it, said, "Dr Fargo, I see you haven't lost any of your enthusiasm."

"Uh, sorry?" He pushed his glasses back into place, giving her a sheepish smile. Then, his eyes almost more hopeful than a little child's on Christmas morning, he held up the book she now recognised as her book on wormhole theory again. "Could I ... uh ... please?"

O'Neill who'd watched the exchange in amusement, tilted his head as he took a closer look at Nathan Stark. Raising his eyebrows, he took a couple of steps towards the scientist. Poking him in the shoulder, he asked, "Hello? Anybody home?"

oxoxo

_A/N: Whoa! You guys rock! I guess I really hit the spot with the previous chapter! Hehe. My muses were giggling quite a bit at all the reviews. Thanks a lot!_

_Anyway, hope this chapter doesn't disappoint too much. I know it's short, but I've managed to get myself a bit of food poisoning last week and wasn't really feeling up to it. I can't even remember the last time I had so little chocolate like I had last week! And chocolate = fuel for the muses! Also, I never thought I'd be so happy to be able to hold down bananas and a bit of rice ... on my birthday... _


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Allison couldn't help but stare. Dr Nathan Stark wasn't just speechless - he also appeared to be in a state of shock. She was so busy staring at him that she jumped a little when the sheriff leaned in close, "Don't worry, Jo has it all on camera."

"The conference room?" As much as General Mansfield enjoyed seeing Dr Stark so out of it, they still had more than enough business to deal with and needed to get started.

"Right." Allison took a deep breath. "If you'll follow me, please." She took Nathan's hand in hers and pulled him along, hoping he'd come around before they'd reached their destination. Not sooner than she'd finished that thought did he released her hand and sighed heavily. One look at him told her she'd better not interrupt his brooding, no matter how much she wanted to.

Behind Allison, Fargo was talking up a storm while he was more or less dancing around Sam. Sam listened to him for a couple of minutes before turning to Jack. "Sir, Dr Fargo is the one who designed and programmed SARAH."

"Ah." O'Neill nodded in Fargo's direction. "I knew your voice sounded familiar."

Sam covered her laugh with a cough, while General Mansfield snorted.

"That's ... that's _not_ me!" Fargo spluttered.

"Sure it is," O'Neill said non-chalantly. "Don't worry, it suits SARAH. I should know; we've come across much creepier voices."

"Thanks, sir," Sam answered drolly, remembering Narim's house on Tollana all too well.

"Come on, Carter, you know what I mean."

Sam gave him a quick smile.

Mansfield, who had missed Sam's reaction, asked, "Do I want to know?"

"Naw." O'Neill shook his head. "Besides, it's classified."

"_Classified_?" Stark stopped, his head turning around with an unhealthy looking speed. "This is Global Dynamics. We've got the highest security level there is!"

"Look who is back with us!" O'Neill slapped Stark's shoulder almost affectionately. "And no, you don't have the highest security level there is."

"But-"

Sam couldn't help herself. She just had to pat Stark's shoulder. "Don't worry. Eureka is still kinda important and one of the most classified projects around."

"Sam," Allison said, the tiniest sign of amusement in her voice. "Please don't break him again."

Nathan grumbled a bit but as they'd just reached the conference room he figured it was time he'd show them who was really in charge. And his first action brought a big grin onto his face. He stopped the sheriff before he could enter. "Sorry, Carter, this meeting is for grown-ups only."

"Sweet!" Jack O'Neill, who'd been walking next to the sheriff, said. "Tell me, Jack, what do you do for fun around here?"

"Sorry, sir," Sam called from inside the room. "General is just another word for grown-up."

O'Neill's shoulders slumped and he sighed theatrically. "You've better got some huge honking space-guns to play with," he said, glaring at Stark as he stalked past him into the room.

General Mansfield mentally sighed. This was going to be a long day.

oxoxoxo

"Jack!"

The sheriff changed direction, returning the smile Henry was giving him. "Henry, how are you?"

"Great. I've been enjoying the show together with Jo and Zane. Stark speechless? That must have been a first."

Jack smirked. "I know. It was great. I'm just hoping Jo made pictures."

"She did. And if I'm not mistaken then Zane is in the middle of acquiring the recordings from the security cameras." Henry shook his head while he chuckled quietly. "I don't think Nathan has realised yet just how extraordinary Sam is."

"Extraordinary, huh?" Jack asked with more than just a little pride in his voice.

"Coffee?" After Jack's nod they headed to GD's cafeteria for a quick drink. "As for Sam, I've worked with her briefly, remember? She's easily as smart as Nathan and they'd probably make a formidable team if they'd ever work together."

"If?" Jack gave him a calculating look. "You know what she's doing? I mean, what she's _really_ doing for the Air Force?"

"She offered me a job a few years back."

"And you declined."

Henry nodded. "It was a great offer and the science would have been amazing. But I'd have lost the freedom I have here in Eureka. Sometimes I'm still wondering if it was the right decision..."

"So..." Jack drawled.

"No. Sorry." Henry replied. "I'm afraid I can't tell you that."

Jack sighed.

"Would it help to know that Nathan is unlikely to learn the complete truth either?"

Jack's eyes lit up immediately. "Awesome!"

Henry laughed. "I figured you'd like that. Anyway, I better get back to work."

After saying their goodbyes Jack took the scenic route to the exit, passing the conference room on the way. Even though the doors were closed just the idea of Sam going head to head with Stark brought a smile to his face.

oxoxoxo

Meanwhile Stark was working hard on regaining control of the situation. He took the seat at the head of the table before making sure Fargo was delivering their coffees and teas as requested. He even refrained from rolling his eyes when Allison insisted on Sam putting her injured leg up on a chair. This also meant she was sitting right across from him as that way she wouldn't have to twist her body in order to see everyone at the table.

Stark was still a bit confused at Fargo's reaction to her, though. He'd even tried to sit down next to her but Jack, General O'Neill, had been faster. As had Allison. This left Fargo with the seat next to Allison, right across from General Mansfield.

Stark surveyed the room one more time before coughing lightly. "Shall we start?"

"I believe some official introductions are in order," General Mansfield said. He nodded at Nathan to start.

"Dr Nathan Stark, resident genius, Nobel Prize winner, former Director of Research and advisor to the current one," Nathan said, a smirk firmly in place as if to say 'beat that'.

"Impressive." Jack yawned. "US Air Force Major General Jack O'Neill. Former second in command, then commander of a cosy little base in Colorado, now Head of my own little corner at the Pentagon."

This time General Mansfield actually rolled his eyes. "His little corner, as Jack likes to call it, is responsible for a big part of Global Dynamics funding."

"Seriously?" Stark asked, eyebrows raised high.

"It's scary, isn't it?" Jack replied with a smile. "I'm still wondering how I got that job in the first place..."

"We know, we know." Mansfield shook his head and sighed. "You must have pissed off the wrong people to find yourself buried under all this paperwork."

Sam shook her head as well, though, in contrast to General Mansfield, she was clearly amused by O'Neill's antics. "Do you want me to prepare a list for you, sir?"

Mansfield gave her a disapproving look. "Colonel, you know better than to encourage him!"

Sam lowered her head to cover the smile that threatened to break through. She blamed the pain meds she was still taking. "Sorry, sir."

General Mansfield accepted her apology. He figured if he wanted the show to get started in a timely manner, he'd better do the final introductions himself and proceeded to quickly introduce Allison and Fargo.

Then he had a sudden urge for coffee.

Before he could properly introduce Colonel Carter, that is. Besides, a quick break wouldn't hurt anyone, right?

"And what would be the purpose of the Colonel's presence?" Stark, using the break in introductions, asked rather sweetly.

"Showing off some of our medical support equipment," Allison offered immediately. "She'd be much less mobile and would probably need a wheelchair to get around without it."

General Mansfield looked up in surprise. While he knew that she'd been badly injured on a mission, he hadn't known that she was wearing GD devices. Before he could say something, though, Stark spoke up. "How come?"

Sam put her hand on Allison's arm to stop her from answering. "The muscles in my thigh are a mess right now and without GD's brace I'd need two crutches to get around as I wouldn't be able to put any weight on it. Trust me, I've been there, done that."

Allison's head snapped around; that was news to her. Though it would explain the older looking scar tissue she'd seen on Sam's thigh. Sam gave her wry smile, then continued, "Which wouldn't be a problem if I didn't have a couple of broken ribs too."

"Not to mention suffered a punctured lung as a result," Jack O'Neill added darkly.

"That too." Sam shrugged her good shoulder. "But thanks to the GD device, both devices really, I'm much more mobile than I'd be otherwise."

Allison smiled. "I guess that's a successful field test, then."

O'Neill nodded. "I believe you're already working with Dr Lam? She'll be in contact shortly to arrange for a visit to discuss our needs further. But I can already tell you that we'll be using more of your inventions in the future, splashing out some money on the good stuff, so to speak."

"That's good to know, General." Allison gave him a genuine smile.

"Yeah." He grinned. "A bit of money never hurts, does it?"

Allison shook her head. "That's not what I've meant, but yes, you're right on that one too."

Stark rolled his eyes. "That's all nice and well, but it still doesn't answer my earlier question. Why is the Colonel really here? Untangling yoyo strings?"

"Yes!" Jack said, promptly handing over another messed-up yoyo. "Give the man a cookie."

"Jack." General Mansfield sighed. "Colonel Carter is here to provide more insight into the projects."

"Yeah, right." Stark snorted. Fargo's eyes widened in shock and though he tried to protest Stark's comment, nothing came out of his mouth. Stark rolled his eyes at him. That was just like the Fargo he knew. Put a reasonable good looking woman in front of him and he'll start stuttering, if he managed to talk at all. "What's with the name anyway? Carter?"

Sam gave him a brilliant smile. "Haven't you noticed the similarities between the Sheriff and me?"

"What? Annoyance and a somewhat simple mind?" Stark shrugged his shoulders. "Sure I did. So you are related? _That_ explains a lot."

"But ... but!" Fargo spluttered, pointing open mouthed between the book in front of him and Sam.

"Fargo, I'm sure she'll give you a picture or whatever for your scrapbook later on. Now can we get the show started?"

Stark huffed, having yet to notice the look of shock on General Mansfield's face. He was more concentrating on Sam and her boyfriend, the one variable he had yet to figure out how to handle, and both their faces showed more amusement than anything else.

"Sure." Jack rubbed his hands together in glee. Turning to Sam he asked, "Is there anyone else you think should be present?"

"_What_? You've got to be kidding me!" Nathan stared at him as if he expected Jack to grow another head any minute now. "What next? Food? Some wine maybe? A tour of our most classified areas?"

"Thanks for the offer but I prefer beer. In either case, my boss frowns upon drinking while on duty so I'll even give the beer a pass," Jack said, his voice completely serious.

Stark sighed theatrically, shaking his head at his misfortune at being stuck with a bunch of idiots.

"Carter?" Jack asked again, having watched her and caught the moment her answer to his question about inviting someone else changed from no to yes. "Who are you thinking about?"

"Henry."

"Henry." Jack repeated. "As in Eureka's mechanic, coroner, fire fighter and whatever-else-is-needed Henry?"

Sam nodded.

General Mansfield, however, looked confused. "You've met?"

"Naw. Carter, I mean Jack ... oh for crying out loud! Sheriff Carter mentioned him earlier. Sounds like a nice guy, though. Any chance he's around?"

Allison looked up from her PDA. "He should be here soon."

Stark threw his hands up in frustration. He was close to losing control of the situation again. He was not going to let this happen. "And what, pray tell, do you want him here for?"

"I'm kind of curious myself," General Mansfield asked.

"I've worked with him briefly." Sam smirked for a split second in Stark's direction. "And I've offered him a position a few years back. He's the one with the most knowledge about our work."

"But ... but he's still here!" Fargo said in alarm. His voice going up a few notches, he added wide-eyed, "He _declined_?"

The corners of her mouth twitched as Sam nodded.

"Is he _nuts_!" Fargo ignored Stark's attempts to get his attention. Or maybe Stark was just trying to breathe. "_Everyone_ wants to work with you! I know a few guys who'd have happily chewed their arms off just to be assigned to your team at Area 51!"

Jack raised his eyebrows in amusement. "Been breaking the locals' hearts again, Carter? I thought we've talked about this?"

She bit her lower lip and shrugged her good shoulder. "Sorry, sir."

"Ah, don't worry." Jack made a dismissive hand movement. "I'm quite fond of broken scientists. They can't babble me to death."

Sam rolled her eyes. "Thank you, sir."

"Ack, Carter! You know what I mean."

"Of course, sir."

General Mansfield shook his head in exasperation while the throbbing in his head became stronger by the minute. "General O'Neill. Please. Can we get started?"

Jack nodded towards Nathan Stark. "Absolutely. Should we wait till good ol' Nathan joins us again or should we begin without him? I mean, he's just the _adviser_ to the Director of Research, correct?"

Allison, who'd just taken a sip of her coffee, spit it out again. "_Jack_!"

"What?" Jack smiled innocently. Pointing towards Stark who was glaring back at him, he said, "It worked, didn't it? He and his ego are back with us. Got a nice glare too; I'd probably give him a 5 out of a 10 for it."

Mansfield couldn't help himself. He shook his head before he let it drop onto the table. It really couldn't get any worse than this, could it?

The next moment the door opened and Henry, clad in his overalls with the mechanic-patch attached to it, entered. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes. Come on in."

Henry took in the people on the room, his eyes finally coming to rest on Nathan. Chuckling mentally as he remembered the earlier scenes from the rotunda, he turned to Sam and sent her a disapproving look. "Sam, we've talked about this. You _have_ to stop breaking people!"

She had the decency to blush while Jack chuckled, standing up and holding out his hand to Henry. "Ha, I like you already. Jack O'Neill."

He pointed to an empty chair next to Stark. "Anyway, as you've already seen, Dr Stark keeps breaking on us and I thought you might be able to fix him more permanently?"

oxoxoxo

_A/N: Oops? That took longer than expected. I must have been abducted by those time-stealing aliens again because I've only got a one-week-delay worth of excuses (and I used it for research ... sort of ... I mean, a convention with Amanda Tapping counts as research, right?). Anyway, I should be back on track with part of next chapter written already (Fargo already surprised me, and, alas, the tone of the meeting actually gets professional!)._

_Also, a huge thanks to all the reviews! They make my muses very happy! Thank you, thank you, thank you! _

_Holy ... ! I just realised last chapter had 45 reviews! Are you nuts? LOL. I guess you liked that one, then. So once again, thank you, thank you, thank you!  
_


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

Henry pressed his lips together to prevent himself from laughing at the look of disgust on Nathan's face. "So, what do you need me for?"

Jack nodded towards Stark whose glare went from a 5 to an impressive 7 out of 10.

Henry chuckled. "Other than fixing _him_?"

"I'm not broken!" Stark huffed. "Besides, Carter wants you here. Probably needs someone to explain everything in simple words."

Henry's eyebrows shot up his forehead while he watched Sam's amused smile. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw General Mansfield shaking his head. And, if Henry wasn't mistaken, his short-cropped hair had just become a tad greyer.

From his seat across from Stark, Fargo gave Nathan a look of utter shock. "Dr _Stark_! Will you stop behaving like a spoilt brat already! Dr Carter is a _genius_; she doesn't need anyone explaining anything to her! I'd drop everything in an instant if it meant I could work for her!" By the time Fargo was finished, he was standing, his hands resting on the table and he all but yelled at Stark. Then, realising what just happened, Fargo blushed brightly before dropping sullenly into his chair, readjusting his glasses.

"Geez, Fargo." Nathan looked at him in irritation while rubbing his still ringing ears.

"Nathan," Henry said, his voice quiet yet firm. "Fargo is right. Sam, _Dr_ Carter, is one of the most brilliant scientists I ever had the honour to work with. She might only have a doctorate in Theoretical Astrophysics but I know from personal experience that she'd easily gotten several more in subjects like quantum mechanics, nanotechnology and software engineering." Henry gave Nathan a minute to digest this new information. When he looked ready to protest, Henry continued, "The only reason you haven't heard of her, even though quite a few of her project are right here, is the high security level of her work."

Nathan rolled his eyes at Henry. "Okay, okay. I get it."

"I don't think you are." Henry shook his head. "Nathan, we all know you're a genius in your own right. You wouldn't have gotten your Nobel Prize otherwise. But right now it's time for you to get off your high horse and accept there are people out there, in this room even, who are at least as smart as you. Even if it leaves your ego sobbing in a dark corner. Understood?"

Nathan watched his old mentor for a long time. It had been a while since he'd last seen him this serious. Then he gave a curt nod and leaned back in his chair.

Sam mentally rolled her eyes. She'd spent enough time with Nathan to know he wasn't convinced yet but would be willing to give her a chance. Not that she could blame him; she _had_ played him nicely after all. In the end, she figured, his disbelief was a compliment to her acting abilities. And that was something she had no problem with.

Jack, having watched the confrontations with interest, raised a quick eyebrow at Sam. Happy with the silent answer she was giving him, he clapped his hands together. "Okay kiddies, let's start!"

oxoxoxo

Cassie yawned, closed the text book in front of her and stretched. Realising her coffee mug was in desperate need of a refill, she strolled over to the counter, smiling at Vincent when their gazes met.

"How's your work going?"

Cassie grinned. "Done for now. I've finished the essay, now it needs to sit for a while till I go over it again."

"How about lunch, then? My treat. I'm sure I can squeeze a little break in too so we can imagine Nathan's face when he finally realises who Sam really is."

Cassie's mouth dropped open as she stared at Vincent. "How ... since when ...?"

"I'm Vincent, remember? I know everything about everyone. Comes with my job." He chuckled, rested his forearms on the counter and leaned forward. "I knew almost from the start. She seemed somewhat familiar but I couldn't place her straight away." He lowered his voice to a whisper and continued. "There's a biannual bowling competition between Eureka and a ... facility in Nevada. I went there with our team a few years ago and met her then."

"Facility in Nevada, huh?" Cassie chuckled, then added wistfully. "I remember; I had a few problems in school so Sam transferred there to be closer to me. She also mentioned a bowling competition ... and a certain madness surrounding it."

Vincent laughed out loud. "You two should come back when it's held in Eureka again."

"Sounds like fun." Cassie tilted her head slightly. "You still haven't told me why you didn't say anything before."

"What? And tip-off Nathan? Where would be the fun in that? Besides, I figured Sam was keeping it quiet for a reason and it was fun to watch." Vincent winked at her. "Now, lunch?"

"Lunch it is."

oxoxoxo

Jack O'Neill was contemplating getting his yoyo out and making a new attempt in creating the perfect, hopelessly entangled yoyo string. So far Carter had always managed to untangle them for him and viewed it as a personal challenge to change that.

Earlier he had listened to Nathan Stark give a quick summary of all the projects he was going to cover during this meeting in layman's terms. He even had made notes before the layman's terms had turned into techno-babble and his notes had turned into doodles. A quick look at General Mansfield at that point had assured him the man was just as lost as Jack while Sam looked completely in her element.

Now, deciding against the yoyo for a moment, he leaned back and concentrated on Carter-watch. She was taking notes, often scribbling things down without looking at her notepad as she followed Stark's explanations. Now and again she would squint at the presented material, tilt her head and then nod or shake her head slightly as she continued to take more notes.

"Is there something wrong, _Dr_ Carter?" Nathan asked, a smirk playing along his features.

Jack had wondered that himself as Sam kept shaking her head, even furrowing her brow at the last couple of slides.

Her brow still furrowed, she said, "Your presentation has been very concise and to the point so far but you're on the third slide for the current project and you've yet to present something new. I mean the data you've shown is conclusive and explains nicely why the Air Force is funding the project but it's nothing but a repeat of the preliminary data I got before deciding the project is worth continuing, even if I didn't have the time to do so. Where's the new data? Where's the progress?"

"Huh?" Nathan's face went slack, if only for a moment, before he picked up the relevant folder and leafed through the pages. "There's no record of these experiments being conducted before."

Sam sighed. "But you have finished analysing the preliminary data you've obtained? How about your next steps? Do you know how you're going to proceed? Good. Once I've gotten my own data, we'll get your project team together and have a look at your proposals. Until then let's continue the talk with the next project in line."

Stark's eyebrows had risen higher and higher while Sam talked. "We'll have a _look_ at our proposals?"

"Do you have problem with that?" Sam looked straight at Stark, raising an eyebrow.

"He hasn't," Allison said, giving Stark a pointed look.

Nathan opened his mouth to protest but before he could say something the conference room started to shake. It was over within a couple of seconds and there was no obvious damage - not even the lone, empty water glass in the middle of the large wooden conference table had toppled over - yet the atmosphere in the room had changed completely.

"Not an earthquake?" Jack O'Neill asked.

"Explosion," Sam and Stark answered in unison while Allison agreed with a nod.

"Ah," Jack nodded. "One of those. Lead the way. Carter, stay."

"But, _Sir_! I might be able to help!"

O'Neill gave her, or rather her crutch, a pointed look and she sat down with a huff. Turning towards Stark, he said, "Let's go."

They filed out of the room, with Henry leaving last. "I'll keep you updated."

Sam nodded her thanks, then pulled out her cell phone and dialled her cousin's number. "Jack, hey, what are you up to? Listen, could you bring my laptop to GD?" Listening to him made her role her eyes. "Sorry, Stark's behaving now. Also, it looks like there was an explosion at the lower levels of GD. The others are checking it out right now so if you could hurry, it could be important? Thanks... Yes _mom_, I'll be careful."

oxoxoxo

Allison and Nathan were on their phones while they made their way through GD. Allison was the first to put hers away. "Take the stairs. I'll go via the infirmary and help with the medical supplies; there've been several injuries."

"Need any help with that?" Jack asked.

She gave him a thankful smile but shook her head before turning left while Nathan led the rest of them straight on towards the stairs.

"What's that smell?" Fargo asked, face scrunched up in disgust.

Jack glanced over at Nathan Stark. The other man's lips were pressed tightly together, determination written across his face. He knew too.

"Burnt flesh," Jack finally answered Fargo's question. "We're getting close."

"We're there." Nathan corrected almost immediately, stopping in front of a door leading out of the stairwell. He closed the cell phone he'd been listening to until now and turned around. "The fire's out but it looks pretty bad."

Then he opened the door.

oxoxoxo

_A/N: It's a bit on the short side but my muses and I are currently discussing what exactly is on the other side. Actually, I've got a pretty good idea what caused the explosion and how to resolve it, but suggestions are welcome! _

_Also, thanks for the reviews again. Even if they tell me what you don't like as long as you explain why (Cause from that I can learn! So, __Meta__, I might have had an extra cookie after reading your review (to be honest, I always find a reason for that extra cookie/chocolate anyway) but I don't hate you. It's the tone of the review that's important, and yours was perfectly fine with me. I guess it pushed me towards the current situation they are in - I had several scenarios in mind and the most action-packed won ;). As for descriptions, well ... WeDon'tLikeEachOtherAndThat'?) _


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter** **25**

Carnage.

That's how Jack O'Neill would describe the scene in front of them.

Not at first, though. The immediate scene outside the stairwell didn't looked too bad. The walls, floor and ceiling of the corridor were blackened with soot but that, and the smoke and stench waving through the corridor, were the only signs of what had happened.

Then they turned a corner a couple of meters in and the view changed.

Completely.

Now the floor was covered in char-coaled debris that quickly turned into larger concrete chunks of wall and ceiling the further in they went. The explosion had also exposed several steel girders and damaged some of them. Both small and large pieces of metal poked out of the walls and ceiling around them, bound to make the rescue efforts even more dangerous. And it didn't help that this level was about 15 feet high.

"Shit."

General Mansfield, bringing up the rear, could only agree with O'Neill's reaction. Thankfully, the ceiling appeared stable enough despite the considerable damage. "Dr Stark, do you know where the explosion originated?"

"And what caused it? Is there a chance of it happening again? And how fast can you get a structural engineer down here?" O'Neill added while he scanned the immediate area for survivors.

"Oh!" Fargo exclaimed before he rushed back to where they had come from and lost his last meal in the corner.

Jack didn't waste a second but went to the spot Fargo had been standing at and, sure enough, saw unfocused eyes staring back at him through a small hole in the pile of rubble. He quickly moved some debris until he could reach the victim's neck to check for a pulse. Grimacing as he stood up, he shook his head. "He's dead. Looks like a scientist; he's wearing a lab-coat."

"Dr Sorensen," Fargo said. He slowly walked closer again, his face pale and clammy looking. "But ... but his lab is in the opposite direction."

"Wrong place, wrong time," Mansfield said on a sigh.

"Over here!" Stark called out. He and Henry had moved further into the affected area while Jack was checking on the body.

Jack looked up, but Stark was gone again, presumably vanishing into a lab. One look at Mansfield told him he had heard Stark too and as a result was moving forward already. Fargo was still rooted to the spot, though, trying to look anywhere but where Sorensen's body was buried.

"General? Sir?"

Jack looked past Fargo at the somewhat familiar voice. Three security guards were just reaching their position and he recognised the one in front. "Matting, that you? Thought you retired?"

Matting, a fair-skinned redhead standing at 6' 5" with the stature of a quarterback, shrugged his shoulders. "The wife wanted me to take a less dangerous job with no long oversea assignments and here I am."

Jack snorted and then nodded to each of Matting's companions as he introduced them. They were just as muscle packed as Matting, who appeared to be in charge, and would come in useful in the rescue operation.

"Rescue equipment is on its way. Any idea what happened?" Matting asked while taking in the view in front of them. He appointed search areas to his men and they moved into the devastated area, looking for any signs of life.

"Explosion." Jack shrugged his shoulder, knowing Matting had figured out that much for himself. "Got a body over here, didn't have time to look for more. Got a whole bunch of scientists ahead, trying to figure out what's going on." Giving the unfortunate Dr Sorensen one last look, he moved on to look for other casualties.

"Dr Fargo?" Matting stopped for a moment and scrutinised the pale scientist for a moment.

"I didn't do anything! I wasn't even here when the explosion happened!" Fargo protested immediately, though he didn't move from the relatively safe place he was standing at.

At Jack's questioning look Matting said, "He's got twitchy fingers that love to press any button they can find."

"Hey!" Fargo pouted, crossing his arms in front of him. "I'm not that bad."

Matting looked up for a second and shrugged his shoulders. "But he's also come up with some useful ideas in difficult situations in the past."

"Ah. He's your average nosy scientist, then," Jack said knowingly. Noticing the computer tablet in Fargo's hand, he asked, "Can you find out who was on this floor at the time of the explosion?"

Matting chuckled as he watched Fargo immediately concentrate on his gadget. "Pretty much," he said in answer to his former superior's question. Moving another piece of debris, he called out, "Found one. She's alive!"

Without further talking they went to work.

o-x-o-x-o-x-o

As she was unable to pace, Sam sat at the conference table with her fingers tapping the surface restlessly. It had been almost twenty minutes since the room had been rocked by the explosion yet she hadn't heard anything from Jack or anyone else. At least there hadn't been another explosion. However, used to being right in the middle of things, the waiting game was nothing but torture.

"Any news?"

Sam almost jumped at her cousin's voice. She'd been so much engrossed in coming up with different scenarios of what might have happened that she hadn't heard him enter the conference room.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you." Jack smiled sheepishly, putting her laptop in front of her.

She shook her head. "It's okay. And no, I haven't heard anything. It's been twenty minutes! They really-"

"-should have called by now?" Jack asked, nodding at her ringing phone.

Sam glared at him before answering. Jack didn't even try to pretend he wasn't listening so after a couple of minutes Sam - after rolling her eyes at him, of course - put the phone on speaker. "Yes, sir, Jack just brought everything I'll need. Where exactly do you need me to go?"

"I'll make sure she gets there safely," Jack Carter added quickly before the other Jack could answer Sam's question.

"Good." There was both approval and relief in the General's voice. "And Carter? _Colonel_? While Henry wants you here ASAP, remember to take as long as it takes for you to make it here in one piece. Understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Now here's Fargo, he'll tell you were to go."

Sam quickly scanned her laptop bag while Jack listened to Fargo's directions and within a minute of Jack ending the call they were on their way to level 5.

o-x-o-x-o-x-o

"Oh boy."

"What? Are you alright?" Jack took a close look at Sam's face, searching for any sign of pain or even just discomfort; they'd just walked down several flights of stairs after all. There was a small frown but going by the look of concentration, it was from taking in the scene in front of them. Taking a closer look himself, the sheriff understood her reaction. "Yeah, that looks bad."

"No kidding." Sam took a deep breath - or as deep as her injured ribs would allow her to. She nodded towards the personnel in various stages of shifting through debris, assessing the structural damage in the high-ceilinged corridor and taking care of the injured. "Okay, where to now?"

Jack tilted his head to one side. "You're not going to like it."

Sam followed his line of vision. "Let me guess, the lab is right behind that huge chunk of concrete over there." Sam looked between her crutch and the part of the corridor that looked more like the entrance to a cave mostly closed off by a rock-fall rather than a part of a high-end research facility. The only obvious way past the obstruction was to climb over it. "Looks like fun," she said dryly.

"Yeah." Jack squeezed her shoulder for a moment. Noticing his Deputy, he called her over. "Jo, any ideas on how to get Sam to Henry and Stark? Is there another way around?"

"I guess climbing over isn't an option?" Jo asked.

Jack shook his head. "Nope. Not with her injuries."

"Hey!" Sam narrowed her eyes at them. "_She_ is standing right here. And _she_ can climb over just fine. With some help, anyway."

Their heads turned towards Sam in unison where they found themselves at the receiving end of her glare. And her foot tapping impatiently.

"Right," Jack said, drawing out each letter.

Sam huffed. "Yes. _Right_. See the ledge close to the top? I just need to get there, then I can sit on the top stone and swing my legs over. It looks like there's just enough room between the top and the ceiling to wriggle through like that."

"Arguing isn't going to get me anywhere, is it?" Jack asked, even though he knew the answer already.

It took a few minutes, or an eternity if you'd ask Sam, but they were finally closing in on the top. Sam took a breather while eying the last two feet she'd need to climb. "Whoever designed high ceilings in underground facilities should be shot," she murmured as she looked down the eight or nine feet she'd come up already.

"I blame Stark," Jack said.

"You do realise this was built long before his time?" Sam asked with raised eyebrows.

"Yup." Jack grinned at her. "Still, blaming Stark is way too much fun to let a little detail like that stop me."

Jo, who was helping Sam from above, called out towards the other side, "Hey! Any news?"

"Apart from two fatalities and six injured so far? They're still working on preventing another explosion. Doesn't look too good right now," a male voice replied.

Despite the situation, Jo couldn't help but grin. "You don't seem too worried by it."

"Naw. Lived through too many almost catastrophes to start worrying too soon. It's bad for your heart. Now, if they were telling me another explosion was imminent then it'd be time to start worrying."

While supporting Sam from her position high up on the pile of concrete, Jo snorted. "Yeah, yeah. I know. You took this job because it's much safer than your previous one."

"Exactly."

Sam, who'd finally reached the ledge she'd pointed out earlier, looked up, panting. She knew that voice, even if she couldn't place it at the moment.

"Anyway," Jo continued, "Could use your muscles up here."

"Ha!" he said in triumph. "I always knew you lust after my body!"

Sam couldn't help but snort. Oh yeah, she knew that voice. "Matting."

"Huh?"

A second later his head popped up from the other side. "Colonel Carter! Fancy seeing you here. Explains the General, though. Knew there must be more to it than him feeling like visiting Geek Central."

"You know each other?" Jo asked in surprise. She liked the large man; they often talked weapons and even sparred now and then. In fact, he'd shown her a few neat moves she'd never seen before. Most importantly, he took her serious and never questioned her abilities like some of the other guards did.

"Saved my six a few times, been my CO on an oversea mission, saved my six a few times more. Stuff like that," Matting said rather nonchalantly. Then his eyes opened unnaturally wide when everything slipped into place. "No _way_! You've been hanging out in Eureka for all this time and I didn't notice? Damn. And you and Stark? Man, I can't believe I've missed it!"

Sam shook her head slightly. She'd always liked Matting. He had been at the SGC almost from the start and they'd been on several missions together. Then an ambush left two of his team dead and the third critically injured and he'd applied for a stint in Atlantis while she was the commanding officer there. He'd retired upon his return to Earth. "Focus," she said.

Matting, who'd been ready to start another little monologue, stopped short and had a quick look around. "Right. Sorry, Ma'am."

Sam gave a short nod. "Now, can you get me to the other ... geeks?"

He tilted his head and studied the way she held herself more closely. "Ouch."

This time Sam gave in and rolled her eyes. "No kidding. Leg and ribs are buggered. At least I got to play with explosives."

"What!" Jo and Jack asked in unison. "You left out that part of the story," Jack continued.

Sam didn't even blink. "Must have slipped my mind."

"Head injury." Matting said, nodding knowingly.

"Speak for yourself," Sam deadpanned. "Or do I need to remind you of certain incidents?"

Jo could have sworn Matting looked embarrassed for a second. Before she could ask, though, he took charge and pointing out the best way down while keeping Sam steady.

o-x-o-x-o-x-o

_A/N: I'm so sorry for the delay! That writing hiatus was so not planned (and the month of May not turning up this year didn't help either). But I'm back to writing (which is very exciting on its own) and have enough (unedited) material for another two chapters finished, so I should be back to my weekly updates! Sorry again for the delay and thanks for all the poking to remind me you're waiting for more!_


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

"I don't know why you have asked for her," Stark grumbled, giving Henry a dark look. "We've got things under control."

"The pressure is still rising," Zane called out at the same time. "We barely managed to slow down the process."

Henry cocked an eyebrow. "You were saying, Nathan?"

"I still say we don't need her," Stark said while studying the computer screen in front of him. He tapped a few keys and studied the changes. "Damn."

"Need some help?" Sam asked from the door. She'd overheard the last part of their conversation and figured it was the perfect opening.

"Yes."

"No."

"Reminds me of McKay," Matting said, causing Sam to laugh out loud. Shaking her head at him, she said, "Go back to work, Matting. I've no intentions of climbing that mountain outside again."

"Yes Ma'am!" he saluted her, even though he wasn't in the military anymore, before tugging Jo along with him. However, after a couple of meters he turned around again. "Oh! And Colonel? If you feel like blowing up stuff, you'll warn us, right?" Leaning into Jo, he added in a stage-whisper that was loud enough for Sam to hear, "You certainly know your weapons inside out but when it comes to explosives... well, let's just say the Colonel blew up some pretty big stuff in her time."

Sam shook her head, a smirk playing along her lips. "Thanks, Matting!"

"You know him?" Zane asked, having been introduced to Charlton Matting by Jo a while back.

"I've worked with him. Even been his CO for a while." Sam took a step closer to Stark, after having taken in the room and equipment around her. "Looks like the system is producing more energy than it can handle."

"No kidding!" Stark replied in mock-surprise. "Now why don't you go and have a seat? Preferably out of the way. Or, even better, out of the room."

Ignoring him completely, she rested one hand on the desk, the other on Stark's shoulder to get a better look at his monitor. Before he could protest, though, she carefully pushed herself off of him and walked over to Henry. "Slowing down the process has bought us some time, but if we can't release the built up energy there's going to be another explosion."

"Thanks, genius." Nathan snorted. "We'd never thought of it ourselves."

Sam ignored him again as she made her way to Zane. "Have you tried coupling this system to one of the more energy demanding projects here at GD? Release and use up the energy that way? May I?" Zane nodded and made way for her. Sam tapped a few keys, studied the screen and nodded slowly. "Yeah, that could work. We should be able to shut it down completely once the energy is drained."

Sam stood up and let Zane back on his computer. She went to the door and picked up her laptop, starting to set it up on the only free space available.

"What do you think you're doing?" Stark asked after a minute or two.

Henry, without looking up from his efforts to slow down the energy built-up, said, "Nathan, play nice. Sam's idea has its merits."

"Of course it has. Don't you think it hasn't crossed my mind too?" Nathan asked, frustration evident in his voice. "And the problem isn't finding an outlet for the excess energy, the problem is-"

"-connecting this system to said outlet." Sam finished for him. "I know. We'll just have to improvise, rig up something."

Stark slapped his forehead. "Of course! Why haven't I thought of it like that?"

Sam sighed at his sarcasm. "Do you have any better ideas?"

Stark opened his mouth, blinked and closed it again. While he had had the same idea already, he still had no idea how to make it work. Unfortunately, things didn't work like the plug-and-play feature of everyday's computers. He sighed. The energy building up in the system didn't care about their bickering. And Henry did really respect her. Taking a deep breath, he said, "Fine. How do you propose we go about it, then?" The least he could do was listen to her. He could always shoot her idea down afterwards.

When she didn't answer he looked over to her. She was transfixed on her laptop, chewing her lower lip as she frowned at whatever she saw. Making sure there wasn't anything he could do at his workstation for the moment, he stood up and made his way over to her.

"Whoa! How did you get into GD's database?"

"Using my log-in," she replied absently. Then she nodded to herself before pulling up another level 5 project on the screen. "How about this one? Its energy demand is huge, it should easily drain our little problem of its excess energy."

Stark raised his eyebrows in surprise. It had been his first choice too. "Yes it has a huge energy demand. But it doesn't handle energy surges very well. Even if, as you put it, we can rig up something, we're most likely going to crash the system and we'll suddenly have two problems at our hands."

Sam tilted her head. "You thought about it already. Any other options?"

He sighed again but nodded. Taking the mouse from her, he clicked on another project. "We won't be able to drain the energy as quickly but it's also more resistant to changes in its energy supply."

Sam started to nod as she skimmed over the specifics. "Sounds reasonable. Now we just-"

"-have to connect the two systems." Stark finished for her.

Hearing the frustration in his voice, she gave him a small smile and patted his arm. "Don't worry. Connecting two incompatible systems is one of my specialities."

"You've done it before?" Zane asked, never looking up from where he and Henry worked hard on keeping the energy levels manageable.

"Multiple times," Sam said, already trying to come up with a way to do just that.

"So we've got a plan then?" General O'Neill, who'd watched them for the last few minutes, asked from the entrance to the lab.

Sam raised a questioning eyebrow at Stark. His lips were pressed together but he nodded.

"Yes sir. How's the rescue coming?" Sam asked.

"Good. The structural damage is manageable, we've located all missing personnel and are working on getting them out."

He entered the room fully and Stark was surprised to see his clothes covered in dust and soot. He apparently wasn't just standing around giving orders but lending a hand too. Jack, having seen the surprise on the other man's face, smirked at him before turning his attention back to Sam. "What do you need?"

"Fargo," Stark answered immediately. "He knows where things are."

Jack nodded. "I'll send him in and have the Sheriff give him a hand."

After receiving nods of approval he left them to their job while he returned to his, glad that they now had a plan.

o-x-o-x-o-x-o

The area outside the lab was finally clear, the holes and charred areas in the walls and ceiling and a few protruding metal girders being the only signs of the earlier explosion. Jack and Jack stood back, watching the structural engineers discuss the best ways to repair the damage as soon as possible so that all the labs were safely accessible again.

"Any news?" Allison asked as she stepped up to them.

The two men shrugged their shoulders in unison. "How are the injured?" Jack O'Neill asked. He really hoped the death toll hadn't gone up from the two unlucky souls they'd found early on.

Allison sighed. "Good news is that they are all stable but a lab technician, Joan Carcus, lost both her legs and Dr Gerin lost his eyesight."

"I'm sorry," Jack Carter said, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze.

"Yeah." Allison took a deep breath. "Anyway, how's the damage control going?"

"Well, you see-" O'Neill started.

"-we were just about to go inside," Carter finished.

Allison took in their sheepish smiles and rolled her eyes. "Then why did I just watch you walk away backwards from the lab?"

The two men looked at each other then shuddered. Carter answered for the both of them, "Techno-babble."

"Hardcore techno-babble," O'Neill clarified. "And," he continued, rocking on the balls of his feet, "They haven't killed each other yet. Carter and Stark even started finishing each other's sentences."

Carter frowned. "Yeah. At least that's what it sounded like. We only understood a third of the words they were spouting."

O'Neill nodded in agreement. "Not to mention that it's one of the scariest things I've ever come across."

Allison mentally rolled her eyes at them. "Why don't I see for myself while you two ... while you two find out how long until we can open this area again?"

The two men nodded eagerly and left to chat with the engineer working a bit away from them. Smiling as she watched them go, not longer wondering why they'd hit it off straight away, she stepped into the lab.

o-x-o-x-o-x-o

"How much coffee did you already have?" Zoe asked her friend. "You're kinda jumpy."

Cassie sighed but put her mug back down without taking a sip. "It's just ... I don't know. I just have this funny feeling."

"That something is wrong?"

Cassie nodded. "It's probably nothing but Sam's at GD for several hours already. Normally that wouldn't be unusual; in fact, I'd be worried if she'd be back already. But Jack is there as well and he'd make sure she doesn't overdo it."

"I could always call dad, see if there's something going on?" Zoe offered, pulling out her phone.

"See if there's something going on where?" Vincent asked, having come up in time to hear Zoe's last comment.

Zoe's face lightened up immediately. "Or we could just ask Vincent."

Vincent sat down, giving the girls an eager look. "Ask me what?"

Cassie watched him for a moment, contemplating if she really wanted to know the answer to her question. "I'm just wondering why Sam isn't back yet."

"Because she's showing Stark how it's done."

Cassie looked up at the new voice and frowned. Then, after a moment of silence, her face lit up with a huge grin and she stood up and hugged the newcomer. "Matting!"

"Hey! What happened to Charlton?" he asked, winking at her.

Cassie scrunched up her nose. "You just don't look like a Charlton to me. Never did. And you outright refuse to answer to Charlie, which would be much more fitting by the way, so Matting it is."

"Fair enough," he shrugged his shoulders, then ordered some coffee and a snack. With Vincent gone, he pushed her away slightly so he could have a closer look. Then he pretended to remove a lone tear. "Look at you! Our little girl is all grown up."

Cassie snorted at his antics before she pulled him down into the chair next to her. "So, how did you end up here?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "You know how it goes. I had a bit of a scare and the wife and kids asked me to retire. Got bored two weeks in and started asking around for a new job and here I am. Now everyone is happy. I like the new job, Becky loves the area and even the kids stopped complaining about having to move. They even _like_ school now."

"Scary," Cassie said with a mock-shudder. "Kids who like school. Bet there's something sinister going on."

"Naw." Matting shook his head. "It's more like they've found a new audience for their practical jokes."

Cassie laughed. "Like father, like sons, huh?"

Matting grinned like the Cheshire Cat. "Yup. Couldn't be prouder."

"Uh huh. Though you still haven't told us what's going on at GD," Cassie said, her voice more serious than before.

Matting made a non-mitted sound. "It's boring. They have it all under control. I guess the Colonel shows them how it's done."

"So Sam is okay?" Cassie asked hopefully. And when he nodded, she added, "Really?"

"What about my dad?" Zoe chimed in. "Sheriff Carter?"

"She's fine. _Really_ really. General O'Neill is making sure of it. Well, he _and_ Sheriff Carter. They're kinda hovering outside the lab with all the geeks, too scared to go inside but not wanting to leave either." He winked at them. "It's fun to watch, actually."

"Sounds like something dad would do," Zoe said, a smile playing along her lips.

Cassie nodded absently, while working through the new information. She took a close look at Matting and there was something, she couldn't quite put the finger on what, but there was something he hadn't told them yet. "So something did happen," Cassie stated. "And if Jack is letting Sam stick around, that means it's not over yet."

Matting watched her for second before smiling gently. "You know, as short as she was, your mom would always know if we'd left a teeny tiny little detail out of our reports. And she'd give us the same look you're giving me right now." He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in for a quick hug. "She'd be really proud of you, you know that, right?"

Cassie took a deep breath, trying to keep the tears at bay. In moments like this, when her mom suddenly came up, she was surprised how much her death still hurt. She rested her head on his shoulder for a moment before pulling away and poking his ribs. "You still haven't answered my question, mister!"

He laughed again before giving them a short edited version of the events at GD. Though he left out any of the gory details, or any of the classified info on what had caused the explosion, both Zoe and Cassie knew how to read between the lines.

"But things are under control, right?" Cassie asked.

He nodded then frowned. "Although it has been a bit of a letdown to see Carter and Stark work together side by side."

Cassie and Zoe raised their eyebrows at that, causing him to shrug his shoulders.

"What? I was hoping for some sparks, you know the kind of bantering I've apparently missed the past few weeks, but they're working side by side, talking to each other, sharing tools. It's boring." He thought about it for a moment. "And scary, if you consider just how smart they are."

Cassie and Zoe shared a look, took out their cell phones and typed away furiously. They finished almost at the same time, returning their attention back to Matting. He looked first at Cassie, then at Zoe. "Okay... I know I'm going to regret it but what did you just do?"

The young women looked at each other, grinned and said in perfect unison, "I just asked Jack to film Sam and Stark working together."

He shuddered. "Creepy."

"Why?" Cassie asked innocently. "You said yourself Jack and Jack are watching them."

"And I texted Cassie's Jack while she texted my dad," Zoe added helpfully.

"How? You didn't even talk about it!" Matting exclaimed, then shook his head. "Actually, I don't wanna know."

Cassie and Zoe giggled before high-fiving each other.

Matting grinned. "Stark didn't have a chance, did he?"

"Nope."

o-x-o-x-o-x-o

_A/N: Woot! Thanks for the reviews even though I hadn't updated in ages. You're the best!_


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

"Are you done yet?"

Stark groaned at the whining voice coming from right behind him.

"Sorry, sir," Sam answered. "We still haven't found a way to slow down or speed up time and it's only been ... ten minutes since you've last asked."

Stark looked at her, frowning. Was it his imagination or had there been a note of amusement in Sam's voice?

"Well, then. What are you waiting for?" Jack O'Neill asked.

Great, Stark thought. Not only was the General annoying them with repeated question of how long it would take them to finish, now he also expected them to joke with him while they tried to prevent the whole of GD to blow up?

"As long as you agree to filling out all the paperwork coming with a major incident at GD, I'll be getting straight onto the time problem," Sam replied completely unfazed.

Stark smirked at the wince coming from behind him. Maybe that would shut him up.

"Just how much paperwork are we talking about here?"

Or not. Stark glanced at Sam again. How did she manage to concentrate while O'Neill kept asking her questions? It was distracting him and he wasn't even expected to answer.

"Sir." Sam turned around to face Jack. "Why don't you go and check out the cafeteria? I've heard rumours that their pies are even better than the ones at Café Diem."

Stark raised an eyebrow at that but didn't comment.

"Pie, huh?"

"Yes, sir." Out of the corner of his eye Stark watched as Sam tilted her head slightly and bit her lower lip before she continued, "In fact, I wouldn't mind if you could save me a piece of their best pie."

Sam turned back to her work but Stark could see the smile on her face.

"Pie it is," Jack announced.

And not too soon as far as Stark was concerned.

"I'll be back in a bit."

Stark just hoped 'a bit' was at least an hour. Because that was the minimum time they needed to see if their idea would work.

"Yes, sir." There was a short pause. "Actually, sir, could you make sure Cassie is alright? I know she's old enough to be left on her own but..."

"Sure. Can't have your worry distract you from your work," Jack said.

"Thank you."

Stark held his breath and only started to breathe again once he heard Jack O'Neill walk away. He didn't waste any time and asked, "How can you work like that?"

"Yeah," Zane asked from the other side of the room. "I mean, I don't mind the odd distraction but that was something else."

Sam shrugged her shoulders. "Experience. We've been working together for so long he knows exactly how far he can go without really distracting me. Besides, it's not a life and death situation right now or you wouldn't even have noticed his presence."

"Not a life and death situation?" Stark asked.

"We've got it under control for now, haven't we?" Sam asked in return. "In our line of work you take whatever you get, you don't start worrying needlessly or you're heading straight for an early heart attack."

"You're very casual about it."

Sam sighed and rubbed her face tiredly. "Like I said, we've seen a lot of things. This," she pointed around the lab, "albeit tragic with the loss of life earlier, doesn't even get close to the scariest or most dangerous situations we've faced."

Stark gave her a long, hard look and finally, finally Sam saw acceptance there. He gave a curt nod and went back to work. On the other side of the room Henry smiled to himself while Zane, after exchanging a glance with Henry, shrugged and returned to work too.

o-x-o-x-o-x-o

It was close to midnight before Jack O'Neill returned to the lower levels of Global Dynamics. After leaving Sam he'd called Cassie, reassured her that they were alright albeit busy, then he'd indeed gone and tested the pies in the cafeteria. He had even sent several slices down to the geek-squad.

And, figuring he might just as well use the time, he had spent the rest of the day with General Mansfield and Allison Blake, doing what he came to do to start with. Once General Mansfield had left around dinner time, Jack had been rejoined by the Sheriff and his deputy and he had been entertained with stories of Eureka and the close calls they'd had.

Then, just before midnight, Allison had found them in the otherwise empty cafeteria, telling them Sam and the others had finally made the breakthrough they'd been hoping for all day.

"Are you coming?" Allison asked, raising her eyebrows at Jo and the two Jacks.

The three stopped, or rather Jack O'Neill stopped and the other two followed his lead, a short distance from the open lab door.

"As I might have mentioned before, I hate scientists," Jack said with a shrug of his shoulder. "Try to avoid them as much as possible."

"You've been in there earlier today. And I thought you like Sam?" Allison asked, not at all offended. She'd spent enough time with him to know he was good at what he was doing.

He smirked. "Because Sam can kick my ass into next week and knows how to blow up stuff. Like really, really huge stuff."

Allison rolled her eyes at him and started walking again, not waiting to see if they'd follow her or not. Because, really, there was no way they wouldn't.

True enough, she hadn't even made it over to Nathan, when Jack O'Neill entered the room. He rubbed his hands against each other and said, "Okay kids, what do you have for me?"

Immediately Stark explained their process in detail. Allison listened but couldn't help and throw the odd glance at the three non-scientists in the room.

Jo was standing behind Zane's chair, her hands resting on his shoulders, while he leaned into her touch. She figured neither of them was listening; Zane knew what Nathan was talking about and Jo wasn't interested in the science.

Jack, her Jack, well, Eureka's Jack was staring right back at her, a smile playing along his lips while he, too, ignored Nathan's explanations. And Jack O'Neill was rocking on the balls of his feet, hands buried deep in his pockets as he listened to Nathan, or at least he pretended to.

"Any questions?" Nathan finally asked, a knowing smirk playing along his lips.

Jack O'Neill locked eyes with him for a moment before he turned to Sam. "Carter?"

"Basically, sir, while Zane and Henry prevented the battery-project from blowing up Nathan and I connected it to something else to drain enough energy from it so we could shut it down."

"Ah." Jack smiled "Piece of cake, then."

Sam grinned. "Yes, sir. Just another day at the office."

"It isn't that simple!" Stark protested almost immediately.

"Actually," Henry said slowly, thoughtfully, "technically this is exactly what we did."

"But-!" Stark started to protest but Sam interrupted him.

"He knows," she said patiently. "He knows it wasn't a walk in the park and required our combined brain-power to solve the problem. And he appreciates our efforts, _everyone's_ efforts. He just doesn't need to know the details anymore as you'd want to hear the details of all the military missions that can consist of more acronyms than actual words in some cases."

"The important thing is that it worked." Jack O'Neill said, his tone more serious than before. "Good job, everyone."

"There's no chance of the earlier incident repeating itself?" Allison asked, though she knew the answer already.

"No," Nathan answered. "The ... the battery-project, as Sam dumbed it down so nicely, is safely shut down."

"Good." Jack O'Neill clapped his hands once before rubbing them together. "Pie, anyone? I've made sure there are some leftovers in the cafeteria."

Sam rolled her eyes and shook her head, a motion mimicked by Allison.

Zane, however, thought it was a great idea. "I could eat. What about you, Jo-Jo?"

Jo shrugged her shoulders. "Sure."

"Goody!" Jack smiled, then leaned closer to Allison and stage-whispered, "It _is_ safe to feed him after midnight, right?"

She laughed out loud and nodded. "It is."

Jack gave Nathan, who was throwing dark looks in his direction, a non-apologetic smile. "You coming?"

Nathan huffed but followed everyone else. Not coming would mean admitting defeat and this was so not happening. Besides, General O'Neill was unlike any other General he had worked with so far. Not that he'd ever tell him that; he had to uphold a reputation after all. But he couldn't deny it, he started to respect and maybe even like the other man.

o-x-o-x-o-x-o

"What do you think of GD?" Allison asked Sam the next afternoon, after they'd seen off the two Generals.

Sam tilted her head towards her new friend and just watched her. She could tell Allison was nervous, even though she did a pretty good job of covering it up. And, Sam noticed in amusement, the longer she waited to answer, the more fidgety Allison became.

"You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?" Allison asked suddenly, her eyes narrowed to mere slits.

"What?"

"Ha!" Allison pointed her finger at Sam, then pushed the elevator button. "I knew it! You want to see me sweat before you answer."

Giving up on her blown cover, Sam grinned. "Possibly. And I'm pretty impressed too. You're doing a great job here. General Mansfield might think you're having too many near misses lately, and while that might be true from his point of view, I think the real story here is how you've managed to keep it at a near miss instead of having an actual accident at your hands."

Allison left the elevator, leading Sam towards her office. "Sounds like you speak from experience."

Sam snorted. "Oh yeah. Trust me, I know exactly what I'm talking about. And so does General O'Neill. We've been in this business for too long to not look past the numbers. So while your record might not be too good right now, the actual stories behind the numbers speak for themselves."

"Near misses, huh?" Allison asked, motioning for Sam to have a seat. "Sounds like you've got your own interesting stories to tell."

Sam nodded and accepted the mug of steaming coffee thankfully. "I do. And I can't."

"Classified?"

"Sorry."

Allison waved it off, knowing Sam would tell her more if she could. "Does that mean will see more of you around here?"

"Someone has to keep Stark's ego in check," Sam answered with a nonchalant shrug of her shoulder.

Allison stared at her open-mouthed. Then grinned. "I guess you've got a point. And you've certainly got him big time."

"I know." Sam grinned. "I love a good challenge. And a challenge he is. Can't be outsmarted by him, he doesn't want to be outsmarted by me, or anyone else for that matter, so we'll just push each other further and further, which, in the end, benefits both of us."

"Clever."

Sam nodded. "Besides, he isn't the first difficult scientist I've worked with. Ever heard of Dr Rodney McKay?"

"The Canadian wannabe scientist?" Nathan Stark asked from the door before walking over to them. "Last I've heard he'd pissed off the wrong people and ended up in Russia."

Sam raised an eyebrow and smiled sweetly, causing Allison to lean back in anticipation. "That was a _long_ time ago. He really was annoying back then, calling himself an expert on something he'd never seen before." Sam shook her head theatrically. "We just _had_ to send him off to share his knowledge with our Russian friends. After all, who better to help than an expert?"

Nathan stared at her for a long moment. Then he smirked, got himself a cup of coffee and sat down on the only free chair. Leaning back, he made himself comfortable before taking a leisurely sip of coffee. "Told you that you don't have a clue, didn't he?"

"Proved him wrong, too," Sam added with a smirk, giving Nathan time to gloat a bit more. Then she continued just as casually, "Of course that was a long time ago. He's proven his worth over and over again since then. He now _is_ our go-to guy in several areas."

"Can't be that important," Nathan said dismissively, "Or I'd have heard from him. He hasn't published anything in years."

"And you knew who I was from the start, right?" Sam asked, waiting for the penny to drop. And she didn't even have to wait too long.

"Come on," Nathan said in a groan. "Not him too. Don't tell me he's got full access to GD as well."

"Actually," Sam said, drawing out the word just because she could and because it made Nathan twitch a little, "I'm not sure. Probably not, though. But I'm sure he won't have any problems to get the clearance, if that's what you want."

Nathan groaned again. "So I can't make fun of his non-existent career should we ever meet again?"

Sam grinned and carefully leaned over to pat his shoulder. "Looks like you're a quick learner after all."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "I still think, no, I _know_ I'm smarter than him. So how come I've never heard of you and your secret projects?"

"You're equally smart and your egos are equally big. You can both be a pain to work with but come through when it counts." Sam rolled her eyes as she watched the smug look appear on his face. "Truth is, the character traits you're differing in made Rodney more suitable for his current job while your talents are of more use here at GD."

Nathan huffed. "I'm still smarter than him."

"Yes Nathan," Allison said from her observation point behind the desk. "When it comes to your specialties. Just as I'm sure Dr McKay is smarter than you in his own field of work."

Nathan opened his mouth to protest when he took in the shaking heads of both Sam and Allison. "Fine," he grumbled. A second later his face lit up in delight. "But as his work is so classified," he said, making sure to roll his eyes at classified, "it also means he'll never receive the public awards and attention I already have. Including a Nobel Prize."

Sam snorted. "Can't argue with that logic."

"Great!" Nathan rubbed his hands together and said, "Now that we've established that I'm more awesome in the public eye, how long are you staying around?"

"Want to get rid of me already?" Sam asked, a smirk playing along her lips. "Does your ego need more time to recover?"

"Recover? From _what_?" He waved his hand dismissively. "I'm just curious as to what your plans are."

"Well," Sam said, winking at him, "You'll be pleased to hear that Generals O'Neill and Mansfield thought that now that I'm here anyway and am on light duty for a while after returning from medical leave, I might just as well go over our projects in more detail."

Nathan mock-groaned before getting up. "I'll better go and hide all the super secret stuff then."

Once he was gone, Allison shook her head at Sam. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but he's actually looking forward to this. And trust me, that's a first."

Sam grinned. "So, _Doctor_ Blake, when can I expect to be cleared for light duty?"

Allison had barely time to give her a questioning look before her phone rang. "Dr Lam!"

o-x-o-x-o-x-o

_A/N: There are only one or two chapters left, me thinks. Muses might have different ideas (they don't tell me unimportant things like this ... go figure!) but that's what it looks like at the moment anyway._


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

"So you're staying for another two weeks?" Jack Carter asked later that night.

"Yes." Sam nodded. "Do you know a nice place I could stay at?"

"But _Samantha_! I thought you loved staying here!" SARAH asked, disappointment and surprise evident in her voice.

"SARAH," Jack said while rolling his eyes, "Sam was just teasing me."

"He's right, SARAH. I'm sorry. Why would I even want to move somewhere else when I can stay here?" Sam apologized. "With whom would I discuss astrophysics in the middle of the night when I can't sleep?"

"Besides," Cassie said, "Moving somewhere else would mean cooking."

"Hey!" Sam playfully slapped Cassie's arm. "I _can_ cook!"

Zoe came over from the kitchen, handing Cassie a glass of juice before unceremoniously flopping down onto the couch. "But you aren't exactly sorry if you don't have to."

Sam glared at Cassie who didn't even bother to hide her grin. "Tattletale," she grumbled.

"But you love me anyway." Cassie even went as far as batting her eyelashes at Sam.

"Fine." Sam just about refrained from poking out her tongue. "SARAH? Cassie just volunteered to learn the recipe for your fantastic lasagne by heart. Do you think you could teach her?"

"It will be my pleasure," SARAH answered, pleased her favourite visitor was staying a little longer. "How about the desserts you love so much?"

"Ha!" The grin on Sam's face grew even more. "How could I've forgotten about the desserts? Cassie would love to learn them too."

"And Zoe too!" Jack piped up. "For when she decides to move out in many, _many_ years. Can't have her starve, can we?"

"Of course, Sheriff Carter," SARAH readily agreed. "I will schedule the lessons immediately."

"Goody." Jack rubbed his hands together and grinned. "Now we can plan how to make Stark's life miserable for the next two weeks." He grinned at Sam and Cassie. "Gotta keep you two entertained after all, right?"

"Right."

oxoxoxoxo

It was another couple of days until Allison decided Sam was fit enough to go back to work and come to GD. As this was official, Sam was wearing her dress uniform. Checking herself in the mirror for a final time, she went downstairs for breakfast.

"Morning," Jack said when he heard her coming closer. He was sitting at the breakfast bar, eyes closed as he took a long, long sniff of his coffee. His eyes still closed he finally took a sip and sighed in deep appreciation. "Now that's what I call coffee."

Sam chuckled. "Do you want me to leave you two alone?"

Jack frowned for a moment, then shook his head. "Naw. The moment is gone now." He finally opened his eyes and grinned at Sam. He grabbed his toast and was about to take a big bite out of it when his brain registered Sam's outfit.

The smile on Sam's face grew bigger and bigger while she watched his eyes almost pop out. Eventually, she took pity on Jack - or his toast - and pulled his hand back before closing his mouth. Then, as Jack did a nice fish on dry land impression, Sam shrugged her shoulders and stole Jack's toast.

"Thanks for the toast."

Jack blinked, then shook his head to clear it. "Yeah. Well. You're welcome."

Sam grinned at his resigned tone and patted his hand in commiseration. "Sleep well?"

"Yes. I- ... nice try!" Jack took a fresh toast and shook his head at her. He pointed at her uniform. "You didn't mention you were going to wear this."

"I'm on official Air Force business," Sam said before stealing his second toast as well. And laughed out loud when Jack fumbled around his empty plate.

"Hey!"

"What? It's a complement to your toast making skills." Sam said, smiling innocently. Waiting half a second, she winked and added. "Think you could make me another one?"

Jack, just having finished his third attempt of getting a proper breakfast, sighed and placed the toast on her plate.

Sam leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Thanks. You're my favourite third cousin."

He snorted. "That's because I'm the only third cousin that you know of."

"True. Maybe I should go and find myself another one? One that I like even better?"

Jack shook his head and before finally taking the first bite of his breakfast. "So," he said after a few minutes of companionable silence, "are you going to tell me what all the nice little ribbons mean or do I have to find out for myself?"

"Ask SARAH, you mean?" Sam deadpanned.

Jack opened his mouth to protest but thought better of it. "Yeah."

Chuckling, Sam refilled her coffee before explaining the meanings for of her ribbons to Jack.

oxoxoxoxo

Nathan Stark looked up from his laptop and stole a glance at Sam across the conference table. They were sitting in one of the smaller conference rooms at GD, taking a closer look at the first project on Sam's list. Nathan still mentally rolled his eyes at his reaction of seeing her enter the room.

He hadn't expected her to wear a uniform. Nor that it had plenty of ribbons to speak of her multiple achievements in her job. Judging by the smirk he'd seen on her face when she'd noticed his staring, she knew exactly how surprised he'd been. It hadn't helped that Sheriff Carter had been standing right next to her, witnessing his embarrassing reaction as well. And, unlike Sam, the Sheriff had gloated openly.

Sam had chuckled at the two of them before shoving her cousin out of the door and sending him off to his own job. Once the door was closed, he had seen her change in front of his eyes. Her posture had become more straight - he hadn't even noticed her slouching before - and her face a tad more serious. In short, she had suddenly looked like she actually belonged at GD.

Even while she had set up her equipment, she had gone through the schedule with him. She hadn't changed her business like behaviour once since then.

"Stop staring. It's creepy," Sam said without looking up, interrupting Nathan from his musings.

"Wha- I wasn't staring," he protested.

Sam looked up and gave him a knowing smirk - the first time he saw the mirth back in her eyes. "Sure."

"I wasn't," he repeated, his voice full of confidence again. "I was just wondering what you thought about lunch."

"It's one of the three main meals."

"Ha ha," Nathan said with an eye-roll. He had to admit that he preferred the more playful Sam to the full on Colonel. "Very funny."

"Not really." Sam gave him a grin. "But I sure could eat. My stomach seems to be still on vacation, demanding regular meals and all that jazz."

"What? And it doesn't demand food while you work?"

Sam shrugged her shoulder. "It does. Just not very loudly, making it easy to ignore it, especially when I'm working on the really cool stuff."

"Let me guess, the really cool and _classified_ stuff."

Sam gave him a knowing grin. "I knew there was a reason Allison kept you around. You're catching on quickly."

oxoxoxoxo

A few days later, Nathan was working with Sam once again. She'd spent the last few days with diverse project managers and was now back to going over the results with him.

"... and then I blew up a sun and the Smurfs lived happily ever after," Sam finished, managing to keep her amusement out of her voice. She waited a couple of seconds until Nathan literally shook his head and focused on her again. "Correct?"

Nathan searched her face for any sign of mirth or amusement; any sign telling him she knew his thoughts had drifted off topic. When he found none, he nodded. "Yes."

There was a snort coming from the door and upon looking in the right direction, they found Allison leaning against the now open door, with her arms crossed in front of her chest and a huge grin on her face.

Nathan sighed and rubbed his face. "What did I agree on now," he asked in a resigned voice.

Allison smirked but shook her head. "Looks like it's time for a break."

He narrowed his eyes at her but she only continued to smirk. He glanced over to Sam but knew it would be futile. She wouldn't tell him either. He rolled his eyes. "Fine. You win. I wasn't paying attention for a couple of seconds."

Sam coughed, then gave him an innocent smile.

Nathan wasn't fooled, though. Especially as her cough had suspiciously sounded like 'minutes'. "Lunch at Café Diem anyone? I'm buying."

"He's embarrassed," Allison stage-whispered after they'd nodded in agreement.

"I know," Sam replied. "Do you think he knows Jack, Cassie and Zoe will be meeting us there?"

"I can still hear you, you know?" Nathan asked. "And come to think I was starting to like you."

"Aww." Sam linked arms with Nathan and batted her eyelashes at him. "That's so sweet."

Allison laughed out loud while Nathan rolled his eyes again and pulled his arm away. "That's funny, ha ha. Guess that's the bad Carter genes coming through. I keep forgetting you're actually related to the Sheriff."

Sam opened her eyes wide in mock-surprise. "Nathan Stark. Was there a hidden compliment in there?"

He glared at her half-heartedly. "Fine. You're fairly smart."

Sam and Allison raised an eyebrow each.

"Okay. You're _almost_ as smart as I am. And you _almost_ had me fooled when we first met."

"Almost. Twice," Sam was back to stage whispering to Allison. Naturally Nathan chose to ignore her and he continued unperturbed, "And you're most certainly the most useful military liaison we've seen here so far. It's refreshing to meet someone who actually understands what I'm talking about."

"Now you're making me cry," Sam said with a mock-sniffle as she buckled herself in. But then she gave him a genuine smile. "And I appreciate you telling me this." He might have waited until they were in his car and therefore unable to be accidentally overheard, but all three of them took it for what it was. A rare and genuine praise by one Dr Nathan Stark.

He made a non-committed sound in his throat and stared straight out the window. He didn't want to crash his car, after all. The rest of the short drive was spent in silence and as soon as the car stopped, Sam and Allison got out.

"Thanks again," Sam said while leaning back in. "I'll even forgive you the Smurfs."

"Wha-?" Nathan shook his head and hurried after the women. "_Smurfs_?"

He was so naming his first grey hairs The Carters.

oxoxoxoxo

_A/N: Sorry about yet another delay! Looks like my muses love watching me struggle without their input. Also, thanks for the poking to continue, that really annoyed the muses but helped me a lot. The story is finished, though it took a lot of weekends of a couple of sentences here and there. Hence the delay in posting, I needed to finish the whole thing to see if all the bits and bobs were fitting. There's a final chapter after this (and they actually get to leave Eureka too) which should be up in the next few days…_


	29. Chapter 29

**CHAPTER 29**

It took a while but Nathan finally made it to the counter at Café Diem. The cafe was packed with people wanting to say good-bye to their tourists-turned-Carter's family-turned-military liaison. After spending several weeks with them, he wasn't all that surprised at the huge crowd that had turned up. Though he would never admit it out loud - apart from the weak moment in his car, of course - Sam and also Cassie were fun and smart women. And they fit right in with the people of Eureka.

He grabbed the beer that had appeared in front of him and continued to scan the people in the room, subconsciously aware of the seat next to him being taken.

"She's something else, isn't she?"

Nathan nodded. Henry had hit the nail right on the head.

"I'm still wondering sometimes if I shouldn't have taken the offer to work for her a few years ago."

Hearing the thoughtful tone of Henry's statement, Nathan glanced over in curiosity. "You are serious. I didn't think there'd be anything that could get you away from Eureka. You love it here, you love your relative freedom of choosing what to do."

Henry laughed and shook his head. "You're right. I've yet to find something to drag me out of here. But Sam's offer? That came pretty damn close to doing just that."

"And of course you're not going to tell me what it is exactly that she's doing."

"No." Henry took a sip of his own beer. "And you shouldn't even think about trying to find out."

Nathan smiled genuinely. "So I've been told in no uncertain terms. As has Zane, I believe."

Henry chuckled, he wasn't surprised that both men had tried – and been found out. "Yeah, I have no problems believing that."

They returned to silently watching the crowd in front of them.

Henry finally broke the silence. "She's doing good, _really_ good. And getting even less recognition than we do."

Nathan nodded. He'd already figured as much. And it was one of the reasons why he wasn't too put out of never having gotten a job offer. Not that he'd admit to it. Before Henry could read his thoughts - that man knew him too well sometimes - Nathan grabbed his beer and went back into the crowd. "You coming?"

oxoxoxoxo

Sam was having fun. Even though every time she wanted to buy drinks or food Vincent looked at her as if she was about to kick a whole litter of puppies. She tried to reason, to plead, to threat, to bargain and even to flirt with him - nothing worked. Eventually she just gave up and enjoyed her last evening in Eureka. The next morning she and Cassie would get onto their motorcycles and head back to Colorado Springs. They had a couple of days - Jack, the General, had made sure of that - before she had to report back to work. Luckily, her injuries weren't going to be a problem during their trip home with the help of GD's devices, although it would still be a while before she was going to be cleared for off-world missions.

"Having fun?" Jack, the cousin, asked as he sat down next to her. He'd changed out of his uniform and was wearing jeans and a button down shirt now.

Sam bumped shoulders with him and rested her head on his shoulder. "Nope."

"Funny," he said, nudging her slightly. "You don't have to go, you know? We could always use someone that can show Stark how things are done properly?"

"I thought that was your job?" Sam asked, only half-joking. "You've saved the day at least as often as he did, right?"

Jack turned them so they'd face each other. "Whenever something goes awry I need someone to translate the scientific mumbo-jumbo to even get an idea about what's wrong!"

"So? Then you process it and come up with an answer. It's not your fault that they need to translate it back to scientific mumbo-jumbo in order to get what you're saying." Sam waited a second before she continued. "And if the stories are correct, then it's usually Allison or Henry that are doing the translating." She wriggled her eyebrows at him. "Don't know about you, but looks to me like Nathan wouldn't get your helpful ideas otherwise."

"Huh." Jack frowned and got a far-away look in his eyes. Then a smile spread over his face. "Ha! You're right!"

Sam leaned back, a smug smile firmly planted on her face. "Duh! Of course I'm right. I'm a Carter, remember?"

"Are you sure about that?" Nathan pulled over a chair and sat down next to Sam, ignoring Jack completely. "I just don't see it."

Sam grinned in amusement. "I loved Math because my teacher was hot?"

Nathan rolled his eyes. "You were just saying that to annoy me."

"Actually," Sam shrugged her shoulders and even blushed a little bit. "He was really, _really_ hot. And I had to get his attention somehow, right?"

"I give up." Nathan held up his hands in defeat. "You're definitely related."

Sam and Jack bumped their knuckles. "We know."

"So, what were you talking about before?" Nathan asked casually.

They looked at each other and shrugged. "Nothing."

Nathan narrowed his eyes. "You were talking about me."

"Nathan, Nathan, Nathan," Sam said, patting his shoulder. "Not every conversation in Eureka is about you."

He eyed her suspiciously, but nodded. "Okay."

"Then again," Jack said, rubbing his hands together in glee, "Sam pointed out some really interesting things to me."

Nathan raised his eyebrows questioningly.

"Oh no," Jack shook his head. "I'm not telling you. If you're as smart as you think you are, you'll figure it out."

"Maybe," Sam added helpfully.

"What's up?" Zoe and Cassie asked in unison. "And can we join in?"

"Making fun of Stark and hell yeah," Jack said with unconcealed glee in his voice. "The more the merrier."

"We're in too," Jo said, pulling up even more chairs. "Just out of curiosity," Zane continued, "What are we doing exactly?"

"Helping Stark fit his ego into Café Diem," Cassie explained helpfully.

"Remember whom you're working for," Nathan said just as Zane opened his mouth to comment.

"Me?" Allison asked from behind Nathan while putting her hands on his shoulders.

"That's what I thought," Zane said, giving Nathan a smug grin.

"Children." Henry somehow found enough space to squeeze another chair in at the two tables they've pushed together. He'd been stopped a couple of times on the way over and therefore had missed some of the fun. "Behave."

"And where'd be the fun in that?" Zane asked.

"Not to mention that he probably doesn't even know how to behave properly anyway," Jo added.

Sam leaned back and just watched her new friends, part of them family now, banter and bicker good-naturedly. A look at Cassie told her that she looked just as relaxed as Sam felt. This road trip had been the best idea ever. Despite the little setback of her injury. Or, maybe, it hadn't been a setback after all. It had forced them to stay longer. Otherwise they'd have moved on eventually. And would have missed out on so much fun.

Particularly seeing one Dr Nathan Stark speechless.

Multiple times.

Oh how she wished Rodney MacKay had been on Earth the last few weeks. She so would have liked to watch him trying not to freak out at the coolness that is Global Dynamics but also watch him verbally spar with Nathan Stark. Sure, they'd have had to babysit the two of them, just to make sure they weren't going to accidentally blow up GD while trying to show each other just how smart they were, but Sam was sure there'd have been more than enough volunteers to help her with that.

Well, maybe she could organize something. Even with all the medical technologies at hand in Atlantis Dr Jennifer Keller probably wouldn't mind having some of GD's developments at her disposal. And Ronan? He'd love all the weapons Jo was playing with, as would probably John Sheppard. They'd get along with Jack as well and happily ignore one Nathan Stark.

Yes. She had to make sure this was going to happen at some point. Just as she had to make sure she would be here as well. No point in organizing all the fun if you weren't there to enjoy it after all.

"Earth to Colonel Carter. Earth to Colonel Carter."

Sam blinked then rolled her eyes at Cassandra who was snipping her fingers in front of her. "I was just thinking."

Cassie snorted. "More like daydreaming."

Sam's eyebrows climbed up her forehead very quickly. " I do _not_ daydream."

"Uh huh," Zoe answered, patting Sam's hand reassuringly.

"I don't!" Sam narrowed her eyes at both Cassie and Zoe, though they could see her fighting not to smile.

"Sure you do," Cassie said, nodding gravely.

"No, I don't."

"Yes you do."

"No."

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Ye-"

Nathan whistled. Loudly. Having everyone's attention, he smirked at Sam and waved his hand between her and Jack. "I really don't know why I earlier thought that maybe, _maybe_ you weren't related after all. It's so _obvious_ now!"

Sam and Jack looked at each other, grinned, and then mock-bowed as much as their seating arrangements allowed them. "Thank you."

Nathan rolled his eyes at their antics. "That wasn't a compliment."

"Sure it was," Sam answered without batting an eyelash.

"No it wasn't."

"Yes it was."

"No it wasn't."

"Yep."

"No!"

"Maybe he's another lost cousin?" Zoe stage-whispered to Cassie as they watched Sam and Nathan face off. Cassie's eyes opened comically wide and then she started laughing. And not just any laugh, but the kind of deep belly laugh that starts from deep within and takes a lot of effort to stop. And it didn't help that Nathan Stark was suddenly wearing a deer-caught-in-the-headlights look.

Sam, however, wasn't having Nathan's troubles. Instead, she stroked her chin and looked upwards as if she was deep in thought. "Now that you've mentioned it... I have this uncle who now and again mentions a smart-ass cousin from up north. Uncle Sherman Stark. He's an alligator wrestler down in Florida, I believe." She turned to Nathan and smiled sweetly. "Sound familiar?"

By now Cassie had pushed her chair back from the table and was trying hard to get some air into her lungs between fresh bouts of laughter. And it wasn't just her. She'd basically infected everyone at their tables with laughter.

"Oh god," Cassie pressed out between gasps, "please tell me someone got that on camera. Nathan's face!"

Sure enough, Zane held up his PDA and grinned. "Already emailed it to you."

"Sweet!" Cassie took a couple of deep breaths, finally managing to calm down a bit. Seeing Nathan's glare, she gave him the sweetest smile she could muster and patted his forearm. "Don't worry. I already know what a sweetheart you are deep, deep down."

Once again the people around the table erupted in snickers and laughter.

Nathan rolled his eyes and sighed theatrically. Shaking his head at her he finally grinned as well. "You're alright."

Cassie smirked. "I know."

oxoxoxoxo

It was after midnight by the time they left. Their table had been to last to leave and once all the other customers had gone, Vincent had joined them for good. It had been a fun night for all of them with lots of good food, drink and the ever present teasing of each other. But even the best night had to end at some point and so they'd left, one after another, hugging Cassie and Sam goodbye on their way out. Even Nathan had hugged them both and wished them well.

"Tired?" Jack asked as Sam drove them home in his car. She'd only had one beer early on, seeing how she had a long drive ahead of her the next day.

"Not really."

"You're quiet."

She smiled and nodded towards the back of the car. Cassie and Zoe were out cold already. Then she sighed. "I'm going to miss you guys. I'm going to miss Eureka."

"You're even going to miss Stark, aren't you?"

Sam shrugged her shoulders and grinned. "He's pretty funny and so easy to tease once you know how. And he really knows what he's doing. He's doing some amazing research out here."

Jack sighed. "I know. He's just so-"

"- irritating?" Sam nodded knowingly. "Yet you like him. You've got a weird friendship going on, but a friendship it is."

"One we'll never admit to, though."

"Duh! That's why I called it weird."

Once they reached SARAH, they woke Cassie and Zoe who both insisted on not having been asleep, earning them a simultaneous eye-roll from Sam and Jack.

"Bed, you two," Jack said.

"Yeah," Cassie answered, quickly pulling Zoe out of Sam and Jack's reach. "Come on Zoe, the old ones need their sleep."

Sam shook her head and, taking Jack's offered arm, followed them inside.

oxoxoxoxo

Jack had taken the next morning off to give them a proper sent off. And he'd had a long, long conversation with Fargo about not pressing any buttons, no matter how enticing they were, until after lunch.

"Coffee? Tea? Orange juice?" SARAH asked for the umpteenth time this morning.

Sam shook her head. "No, but thank you. We really have to go if we want to get anywhere before dark."

"But I could fry some more bacon. And eggs. Or make more pancakes. You love my pancakes!"

"I do," Sam said with a smile. "But it's later than I would like already. And if I eat anything else, I won't be able to move."

"You can always stay another day!"

"SARAH," Jack interfered. "I don't want them to leave either, but they've promised to visit, remember?"

"Yeah." SARAH replied, sounding like a petulant child.

They collected their stuff and went to the door. A door that remained stubbornly closed.

"SARAH."

"It's stuck?" the house offered feebly.

"I'll still call to discuss astrophysics with you," Sam offered.

"And I'm bound to have questions about genetics and stuff once I start my PhD," Cassie added. "I'm pretty sure I could use your help."

"You promise?" SARAH asked, sounding more hopeful than a house should. Then again, houses usually didn't talk at all.

"We promise."

There was a deep, mournful sigh then the door opened slowly. Very, very slowly.

Jack rolled his eyes, then shooed everyone out. It didn't take long to put the remaining bags on their motorcycles. All that was left to do was for Sam and Cassie to put on their helmets and drive off.

"You know, dad, we should accompany them to the town limit. It's Eureka we're talking about after all. A lot of things could happen between here and there."

Jack grinned and hugged Zoe to his side. "You know what? That sounds like a sensible plan." He pulled the car keys from his pocket and unlocked the door. "Ladies, how about an escort out of Eureka?"

Cassie squealed, causing Sam to shake her head at her antics. "I guess that's a yes, we'd love your company."

Once they reached the towns limits, even Zoe had run out of ideas to delay their goodbyes.

"I guess that's really it," she said mournfully. Hugging Cassie, she added, "You're the best adopted cousin I've ever had."

"Ditto." And Cassie meant it. Even though Zoe was a few years younger than her, they somehow had hit it off right from the start.

Sam and Jack watched the two younger women before embracing as well. "Take care," Jack said, his tone serious. "I don't want to hear about another injury any time soon, okay?"

"I'll try my best." Sam kissed his cheek before releasing him and hugging Zoe. "And you'll keep an eye on your dad."

Zoe nodded.

"And help him to keep Stark in check."

Now Zoe laughed. "It will be my pleasure. I bet Zane and Jo would love to help with that too."

There were nods all around.

"We should…" Sam said.

"Yeah." Jack agreed.

Still, nobody moved.

Eventually, Cassie rolled her eyes. "Okay, that's getting ridiculous." She gently pushed Zoe and Jack towards their car. "We'll see you soon."

It still took a few minutes before their final goodbyes were said, but eventually Sam and Cassie were standing alone on the road.

A smirk firmly on her face, Cassie asked, "Best road trip ever?"

"Best road trip ever." Sam replied with conviction.

And then they got back onto their motorcycles and rode off into the sunset.

At least they would have if the sun had been setting already. As it was barely lunchtime, they just rode off, thinking about their return and the havoc they could cause already.

oxoxoxoxo

_A/N: And that's a wrap… Thanks for reading and patiently waiting for updates and poking me now and again to actual do the updating! And a special thank you to every one who ever reviewed once or more than once (you get a more than one special thank you :))! Hope you liked reading it as much as I loved writing it!_

_As for a sequel? I better not promise anything (even though I'd love to see the Atlantis cast visiting Eureka), seeing how bad I am in actually writing promised sequels. We'll just have to wait and see what my muses want…_


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